F E A T H E R S
by EverlastingxSong
Summary: "You're delusional if you think that I'd fall head over heels in love with a short, white-haired dead guy that acts like he's eighty." ToushirouxOC
1. Silently, It Cracked

**Disclaimer : No, I don't own Bleach.**

**A/N :**

Yo! (:

This is going to be my first attempt at a Bleach fanfic, so I'm hoping that it's not all that bad. Considering this is the first chapter, it's probably not going going to contain a lot of interesting events, but this is just an introduction chapter, so I hope you guys can overlook it =P

It's in the summary, but this is definitely going to be a ToushirouxOC fanfic. Admittedly, he only has a few glorious moments in this chapter, but this basically a chapter to introduce my OC. Even though it's going to be the first chapter, I hope that you guys will like her! (:

I hope that I kept them in character, even though they really didn't show up all that much. But trust me, you'll see plenty of Toushirou goodness later on! I promise. (:

The development will be pretty slow between them, but I'm hoping it'll make the entire thing more realistic. So please bear with me! For now, I hope you guys can just enjoy the first chapter! ;D

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><p><span>F E A T H E R S<span>

**CHAPTER ONE;**

_"Silently, it Cracked"_

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><p>I ran down the stairs of the house, nearly tripping over my own two feet as I did so. I stumbled on the last step ungracefully, my heart thumping wildly as a second's worth of adrenaline shot through my system. Dashing down the hall hastily, I returned the greetings of the other members in the household.<p>

"I'm leaving without you, Jay!" I exclaimed as I rushed by the kitchen, briefly seeing the onyx-haired male sitting leisurely at the kitchen island.

He let out a loud noise of surprise before hollering, "Wait up, Princess!" He made a ton of noise as he quickly gathered his stuff and exited the kitchen, saying his farewell to the chef. I was already rushing out of the house and down the front porch steps when he started putting on his shoes.

Spotting a familiar figure leaning against the driver's side of the sleek black car, I greeted loudly, "Good morning, Kanegai!"

"If you keep running like that, you'll fall!" Jay yelled out from inside the foyer of the house, sounding exasperated.

"If you have time to tell me that, hurry up and put on your shoes!" I threw a glance at him over my shoulder, but it proved to be a bad idea. Since reflexes and coordination hated me, it was bound to happen sooner or later if I kept moving around so quickly. Slipping on the third last step, I could only shut my eyes and anticipate the hard impact with the floor. Instead, however, I crashed into a warm and solid chest.

"Are you hurt anywhere, Young Mistress?" the orange-haired, suit-clad man asked me seriously. He made sure that I was steady before releasing his hold on me, taking a step back to create a bit more room. Sunglasses covered up his eyes, but I didn't need to see his entire face to recognize his voice.

"Yeah," I murmured. "Thanks a lot, Naota."

"You must be more careful, Young Mistress!" Kanegai, the chauffeur, exclaimed as he hurried over. His lips were pulled downwards and his eyebrows were pulled together in concern, making him seem a lot older than he really was.

Rampaging down the stairs like a tornado, Jay scolded, "You're an idiot!"

"Well, why didn't you wake me up?" I demanded from him as we filed into the vehicle. Naota sat in the passenger seat while Jay and I occupied the back, the spacious car providing enough room for a few extra people. We buckled in our seat belts before Kanegai started the car and began the drive to Karakura High Academy.

"What are you talking about?" Michimoto Jay quirked an eyebrow at me, amusement clear on his features. "I spent _at least_ ten minutes trying to wake you up when I got here this morning, but you continued to sleep like a log."

"You should've tried harder!" I growled out, frustration lacing my tone. I grabbed the black, maroon, and white plaid tie out of my bag, slinging it around my neck and trying to knot it properly.

"Hey, I can't help it if I got hungry," he defended. "Your hair's a mess." He reached out his hands, running his fingers carefully through my long hair. Softly gathering all my hair onto one side, he separated the strands into three sections and carefully began to braid the light burgundy locks.

"So you picked food over me?" I gave him a look, scowling when I couldn't tie the plaid cloth properly. I undid the screwed up knot, retrying once more.

"Sorry," he chuckled and then grinned, showing off his straight rows of white teeth. "You know that you would've done the same thing, though."

I opened my mouth to protest, only to clamp it shut again. I couldn't deny what he had said—I really would've done the same thing and went for the food instead. Jamie, the chef, was an amazing cook. My response came in a pathetic, "Shut up."

He snickered, finishing up the braid just as I correctly got my tie knotted. Holding the ends of my hair with one hand, he held his spare hand out. "You've got a hair tie on you, right?"

Removing the thin, simple black hair tie that I had slipped onto my wrist this morning, I handed it to him and let him expertly fasten the braid he had created. Something like this wasn't a rare occurrence, but for some reason, I felt like it lifted a load off of my shoulders. Maybe it was just Jay himself—his presence itself was reassuring, comforting.

It made me feel safe.

But I didn't know why I was so desperate to feel protected.

Despite all the years, months, and days that had passed by, I had gotten used to being involved in the mafia business. Things like different groups fighting over territory or having someone target me specifically to harm the Tsubaki gang no longer affected me. The things that had, at the beginning, seemed so ridiculously scary no longer seemed that way. For a long time, I had never felt a need to feel like I was safe.

Yet today was different.

Why?

Uneasiness shrouded my heart, a sense of alarm making my stomach clench uncomfortably in my stomach.

"What's wrong?" Jay didn't look at me as he asked, but was instead focusing on my bangs. He bunched the strands up and then pulled it back so that the tresses stopped falling into my face. Holding onto the hair with one hand, his other hand went to the lapel of my KHA black blazer, where he pulled out one of the bobby pins that I had stuck on there in the morning.

"Your face," I insulted pathetically.

"Try again," he snickered, grabbing another bobby pin and sliding it into place. When he was satisfied with his handiwork, he leaned back into his seat properly and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. His onyx hair was, as always, gelled into a faux-hawk that somehow made him seem friendlier, which was something that had surprised me when he had first got that hairstyle. I felt like a lot of teenage guys that tried sporting such a hairstyle only managed to make themselves look like assholes, but it was the opposite with Jay. No stray locks fell to block his piercing, warm dark violent eyes that were unwavering as they looked at me, his honey-coloured skin unblemished as it stretched along his features.

Looking at him, I felt like I was at a loss for words. What was I supposed to tell him? It was hard to describe how I felt, and even if I did, I was sure that he just wouldn't fully understand what it all meant. Sighing, I shook my head at him. "It's nothing."

He scrutinized me carefully, a calculating expression on his face. An idea seemed to have struck him as realization dawned onto his features. In a quiet voice, he asked seriously, "Did you have that dream again?"

My heart thumped at his words. A small panic went through me as my mind tried to conjure up the right thing to say, but luckily, I didn't have to.  
>Pulling to a stop in front of the majestic building of Karakura High Academy, Kanegai informed me, "We're at school now, Young Mistress." He reached to undo his seat belt, but I shook my head at him.<p>

"It's fine, Kanegai," I informed the middle-aged man. "Thanks a lot." Unbuckling myself, I grabbed my schoolbag and pulled on the door handle, pushing it open and stepping out onto the pavement. Since we were late, there was nobody outside, so we didn't receive all the frightened stares that we were usually greeted with in the mornings.

"Please have a good day." Kanegai offered a smile. "I'll be here to pick you up once school ends, Young Mistress."

"Yeah," I agreed quietly.

Swinging his long legs out onto the pavement, Jay exited the car and instantly stretched. Looking at Naota and Kanegai, he grinned at them. "Thanks. See you guys later."

"We leave the young mistress in your hands, Jay. Please take good care of her," Naota replied solemnly. "And please be careful, Young Mistress."

Laughing, Jay assured them, "She's safe with me. Thanks again!" After waving a hand at them, my friend shut the door of the car and then looked down at me. "Alright, let's go. We have transfer students coming in today, right? We shouldn't be tardy—it's rude."

"And _whose _fault is it that we're late?" I retorted, whirling on my heels as I headed towards the building calmly. We were already late, so I saw no reason to rush anymore.

I hated being tardy. I felt like being late was even worse than being early. At least when we were early, there was no awkwardness with the teachers. Perhaps it was normal for students to be afraid—after all, they didn't know anything about the Tsubaki mafia organization, and I didn't expect them to. Yet, I had never expected teachers to also feel fear when looking at me.

Perhaps it was foolish to have felt this way.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized without meaning it. The grin on his face told me the fact that he didn't really mind being late at all, and I rolled my eyes at him. "What do you think that the new transfer students are going to be like?"

"Does it matter?" I returned, passing him as he held the door open for me before entering the building himself. We went to our respective shoe lockers, which were not-exactly-coincidentally situated next to one another's. I opened it up, taking out my indoor shoes and dropping them onto the floor. Slipping out of my outdoor footwear, I placed the black shoes back into the shoe locker as I began to wear the flat, white interior shoes.

"Of course it does," he answered easily. When I gave him a dubious look, he met my obsidian eyes with his own lilac ones piercingly. "Maybe things will be different this time."

I almost reeled back at the glimmer in his eyes. Shaking my head at him, I shut the small locker door and muttered, "_Right_. Keep believing that, Jay, but we both know that this time won't be any different from the last."

As we began walking towards our classroom, which was on the first floor of the building since we were freshman, Jay asked me, "How can someone so small have such dense pessimism in their body? And when you have _me _as your best friend, no less."

"It's not pessimism," I denied easily as I elbowed him in the stomach. "And shut up—I admit that I'm short, but you're just too tall."

"You just _think_ I'm too tall because _you're_ too short," he retorted. "How many times do you get mistaken for a grade-schooler? And if it's not pessimism, what exactly _is _it?"

My response was lathered in sarcasm. "I don't know, maybe it's _reality_?" Switching back onto the topic of our immense height difference—he towered over me by more than just one full foot—I pointed out, "We've had this talk a million times. Can we just drop it? You're amazingly tall and I'm freakishly short. Who cares? Because I really don't."

He eyed me for a moment before saying, "You know, I'm beginning to wonder if you even had the _chance _to wake up on the wrong side of the bed." The raven-haired male paused for a second before asking, "Is the dream really bothering you that much?"

"It's got nothing to do with that at all," I replied without even flicking him a glance.

"How hard do you think liars fall?" he called me out on my bluff, no hesitation in his smooth voice whatsoever.

Irritation tainted my tone as I objected, "I wasn't lying, Jay."

"Your skirt is going to catch on fire," he remarked casually, grinning when I glowered at him fiercely. He didn't flinch away at the look on my face or when he heard the anger in my tone, but that was one of the reasons why he was my best friend. He opened up the classroom door, letting me step in first despite the fact that I continued to glare at him. The only thing that I was able to see was a bright crimson red—and a vision of me tearing his head off.

"Yeah? Well—your face would be catching on fire right about now if I could shoot flames out of my eyes, but it's not like it would matter anyway because it's obvious that you _suck_!" I growled in aggravation, my features pulled into a scowl as I stared at my childhood friend. My hands were balled into tight fists, and the temptation to throw my schoolbag right in his face was almost overwhelming. "Why are you grinning like that, you idi—"

His lips only stretched wider in amusement as he interrupted, "We're in class now, Princess."

"What—" I cut myself short, peeling my eyes off of Jay's face to scan our surroundings. Sure enough, we were inside our classroom. A sea of surprised, frightened faces stared up at me with their eyes wide and their jaws slacked open. I had to bite down on my tongue to keep the rainbow of profanities from escaping my lips.

"Tsubaki, Michimoto, you two are late." Despite being an adult, his voice still wavered faintly. I had grown so conscious of it over the years that I could pick it up easily. "Please refrain from such tardiness in the future."

"Sorry, Sensei," Jay apologized sincerely. "We'll be on time tomorrow."

"Yes," he agreed politely. My eyes zoomed in on the slight tremor of his hands. "Please do be. Well, if you two will take your seats, we're still in the middle of introducing the new transfer students."

At his words, my eyes slid over to the two figures that stood at the front of the room. The first person that I saw was a tall, voluptuous strawberry blond woman that didn't look fifteen at all. Her long waves of blond hair fell in a rippling river down her back, her bangs parting in the middle and curling gently off to the side to frame her face. Her light cerulean eyes were bright and playful, framed by long, dark curled lashes. A beauty mark was situated underneath the right side of her bottom lip, drawing eyes to her unintentionally sultry mouth. Her skin looked fair and smooth, and her curvaceous figure was only emphasized by how she wore Karakura High Academy's uniform.

She didn't button up the black blazer, and while the maroon dress shirt she wore underneath was buttoned, she had left the top few undone to show off her immense cleavage. Her tie was in place, but after a short path underneath her pretty collarbones, the cloth disappeared in the valley of her ample assets. The dark red and black plaid skirt that was lined with two thin white strips at the edge was shorter than what it was supposed to be, showing off her incredibly long and slender legs that were clad in black knee-high socks.

This woman looked like she was ripped right out of some supermodel magazine. She was so beautiful that I felt the wind being knocked out of me at the mere sight of her.

Blinking, I shifted my eyes to the shorter figure that was beside her, and I nearly got a heart attack. Standing with his hands in his pockets, the small male had pure, vibrantly white hair that was stylishly spiked up. A single tress of his bangs fell lazily onto the left side, not at all taking attention away the breathtaking teal colour that made up his eyes. They were sharp, piercing, and almost like they had frozen. His eyes were framed with thick white eye lashes, making me believe that the guy hadn't went and bleached his hair like a delinquent. His skin was sun-kissed, giving off an almost golden feel that I knew would make girls melt.

He had the blazer—which contrasted fiercely with his shocking white locks—buttoned up halfway through, although the reddish-brown dress shirt that he wore underneath was button up until the second one from the top. He had rolled up the sleeves up to his elbows in a casual manner. His tie was done properly and neatly, hanging straight down from his neck. Even though the uniform didn't hug his physique like it did with the female, it was clear that despite his size, he had muscles. His legs were clad in the standard black dress pants, and he was someone who looked like he could've emerged right out of any girl's fantasy.

Except for his height, but that was entirely different matter.

My heart literally stopped for a beat when his eyes slid over to meet mine. Alarm bells began to ring too loudly in my ears and through my system, something similar to fear shooting through my body. Warning signs began flashing. A pain exploded in my head, almost as if someone was repeatedly slamming down a hammer on it. Breathing seemed to get harder as I looked at him, my widened eyes allowing me to realize how hazy everything seemed. Black swirls seemed to curl up at the side of my vision, slowly becoming more prominent as everything around me only continued to get foggier. Something appeared at the corner of my eyes, but I couldn't make out what it was.

Instinctively, I took a step back. The name wasn't one that I had ever heard before, nor did it really register in my brain until it had already escaped me, but I breathed it out like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Toushirou."

His eyes widened a small fraction as he stared at me before they narrowed, his lips pressing together into a firm line.

"Eh? You know Tai—Hitsugaya-san?" asked the woman, her high soprano voice curious and singing. Her eyes darted over to the shorter male in what looked like sheepish apology.

"_No_!" I didn't even realize how loudly I had said that one word until everyone jolted at it, surprised at my volume. My eyes only widened more, and I forced myself to speak in a quieter voice as I mumbled, "No... No, I don't—I don't know him." I swallowed thickly, though the lump in my throat wasn't going away. The pounding in my head only seemed to grow in intensity, my stomach twisting into itself painfully.

"What's wrong?" Confusion tainted Jay's voice as I stumbled backwards into him in a desperate attempt to get away from the white-haired male that stood in the centre of the room. I felt his hands come up to rest on my shoulders in an attempt to stabilize me, but I felt like the world was spinning.

Brushing away Jay's hands, I knew that I had to get out of here. Something about him wasn't right. He just—he didn't seem _real_. There was absolutely no way that he could exist. "I'm not feeling well, so I'm going," I managed to get out before I bolted past Jay and down the hall. I ignored the violet-eyed male's shouts behind me as I ran as fast as I could, stumbling more than just a couple of times and accidentally crashing into walls more than once.

I slammed open the infirmary door, clearly surprising the nurse that was there. She froze upon seeing me, a slightly petrified look crossing her features. I hadn't been in the infirmary before, but it was obvious that she knew who I was even without me visiting.

"T-Tsubaki-san," she greeted me as she dropped the pen she had been holding. "I—what can I do for you? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I don't feel well—is it alright if I just get some sleep here?" I inquired of her, although I knew that she wouldn't object to it even if it wasn't okay.

"Yes," she told me in a polite tone. "It's absolutely fine if you want to get some rest here."

"Thank you." Closing the door behind me, I didn't even look at her as I passed. Pushing away the curtains that separated the beds from one another and the outer room to allow privacy, I stepped inside and pulled the curtains shut again. I placed my bag down on the bedside table, flopping down onto the white sheets. My head was throbbing painfully, and my heart was still beating too rapidly for comfort.

Everything about me was still screaming out in distress.

Crawling underneath the blanket of the bed, I squeezed my eyes shut and pull my knees closer to my chest, almost as if I was thinking that I was safer this way. My stomach kept wrenching, my body still pumped with adrenaline. The pool of some kind of emotion still welled up in my heart, but I didn't know what it was. Fear? Apprehension? Confusion? Dread? I didn't know, but all I knew was that I wanted it to go away. My head continued to ache, the drill that was being pushed into it probably not leaving anytime soon.

There were so many questions that whirled around my head, like who he was, what he was doing here, if I was dreaming or not. But the most pronounced two questions were only one word each, though they seemed to sum up all the other inquiries that I had floating around in my mind—_why_ and _how_?

I didn't understand.

Maybe I was just shocked to see him standing there in front of my very eyes—it was such an unexpected thing. I was caught completely off-guard. I had come to school unsuspectingly, expecting regular high school students transferring in. I didn't expect anything to change or any surprises to take place, but clearly, something went wrong with the plans that I had originally conjured up.

The door to the infirmary crashed open once more, and I shut my eyes even tighter. I already knew who it was, and I definitely didn't want to see him. Though if you gave me a choice, I'd pick seeing him over seeing Toushirou any day.

"Michimoto-san!" the nurse exclaimed, startled. "W-What can I do for you?"

"It's nothing. I'm really sorry about the disruption, but I'm here looking for her." His footsteps got louder and louder as he approached the bed where I lay, and I folded into myself a bit more, feeling slightly queasy with anxiety. When he shoved aside the curtains, the sound of the silver hoops that were attached to the cloth sliding against the metal pole was beyond loud. His eyes felt like they were shooting lasers as he stated, "I can see you, Princess."

"Go away, Jay," I muttered. "And stop calling me 'Princess'. I have a name."

He ignored my suggestion about dropping his endearment for me. "I'm not going anywhere." Closing the drapes once more, he took a few steps into the small, private section of the infirmary. The mattress of the bed dipped down from his weight, and he tugged lightly at the covers that I had thrown over my head. "What's wrong?"

"As if I'd know," I mumbled, my grip on my covers tightening so that he couldn't pull them away from me. Despite the fact that I was acting all snappy with him, his mere presence somehow dulled the pondering in my head. It was something that I was silently grateful for, although I didn't understand why he had that affect on me.

"_Yuzuru_." The emphasize he put on my given name and the serious tone in which he had said it almost made me flinch.

I stayed silent for a moment, wondering what I was supposed to do. A part of me didn't want to tell Jay anything, but another part of me felt guilty for not letting him know. After all, I knew that he was concerned and more than just a bit curious. It was unfair of me to act like this towards him when he had always been honest and open with me about everything and anything that I had asked him.

He remained silent, the feel of his gaze still resting on my figure. He didn't make any move to leave, nor did he make any moves that told me he was getting impatient of waiting for an answer.

Sighing, I pulled myself up into a sitting position and let the covers fall into my lap. Not able to meet his eyes, I reached for my schoolbag and unzipped it. Taking out the sketchbook that I always carried with me, I opened it up and flipped through the pages until I found what I was looking for. Silently, I handed it to him.

Wariness was in his actions as he gingerly took the notebook from me, his eyes trying to catch mine. I purposely avoided his dark amethyst orbs as I ducked my head down, my hands gathering the fabric of the blanket into my fists. Nothing was said between us as he flipped through the pages. No words were exchanged as he let his slender fingers turn sketch over sketch, his eyes analyzing the drawing before he repeated the earlier action.

And then the flipping of pages stopped, only the silence retaining its embrace with us.

Breaking the stillness between us after a moment, Jay let out a loud sigh. He hummed for a moment, and then asked inquisitively, "So?"

I nearly exploded. "I showed you all that and all you can say is _'so_'?"

A small, musical laugh left him. "Well... I'm sorry, but I really just don't see what's got you so worked up. I mean—Princess, the guy in your drawings is _faceless_."

My face heated up, but I wasn't sure if it was due to humiliated embarrassment or indignant fury. Snatching the notebook from him, I slammed it down in the space between us and pointed at what was drawn. "Do you _see_ this, Jay? I'm asking you, do you _see_ this?"

"I can see perfectly fine," he informed me with a slightly dry voice. "They have the same hair, Princess. So what? I'm pretty sure that some famous model has sported this hairstyle before, you know."

"No, no, no," I objected, a warm feeling in my chest bubbling up. My face only continued to get warmer the more I thought about it, the beating of my headache being temporarily pushed into the back of my mind. Tracing the pencil lines of the sketch that I had drawn, I insisted, "His hair looks _exactly_ like this, Jay! Do you know how creepy this is? It's like—it's like my dreams have come true, but it's not like I even _want_ this dream to come true!" What happened to my dream about eating a life-sized chocolate house? What about my dreams about swimming in white chocolate?

Out of all things that could've come true, it had to be this _one_ guy that I didn't even want.

"Did I mention that your drawings of the guy you dream about don't have a face?" Jay reminded me innocently, his eyebrows raised.

"That's _not_ the point, Jay!" I exclaimed in irritation. "The hair, man, the _hair_!"

"You're getting worked up over something so trivial," he commented as he observed me carefully. "I don't know if I should be scared or not. Princess, just because you dream about a guy—one that you don't even see all that clearly—and you meet some guy in real life that has the same hair as your fantasy boy, it doesn't necessarily mean anything, okay?"

Shaking my head roughly, I scratched my head wildly with both my hands in frustration. "You don't get it, Jay. This is just—"

"Weird, right?" he finished for me, a smile painted across his lips. "Hey, you messed up your hair again. All my effort a few minutes ago is put to waste." He reached out, taking out the loose bobby pins and also undoing my hair of the braid it had been in for only a short while. He ran his fingers through the locks as a substitute for a comb, and began to redo everything he had done this earlier.

Feeling as if a brick had just been placed on my chest, I heaved out a noisy sigh. "I don't get it, Jay. I mean... What are the chances of meeting someone who looks like the one I dream about?"

"He's _not _the one you dream about, Princess." Jay rolled his eyes. "They just have the same hairstyle. Can you honestly say that you've never dreamed about something, and then woken up one day and seen something similar in reality? Remember that time you dreamed about a pack of striped cats playing in a playground, and then a week later, when we were passing by a park near an elementary school, we really actually saw a group of kittens with stripes running around that place? You're just scaring yourself, idiot."

"But—" I stopped myself, an idea hitting me so hard that I almost toppled over. I grabbed at his arm desperately. "Jay, what happens if I'm—is it possible to actually be psychic?"

He blinked down at me for a moment before bursting out into laughter. "What're you talking about?"

I punched him in the shoulder and exclaimed, "I'm serious! Jay—we're already... We can see spirits and stuff. Normal people can't do that, so is it really that weird if I'm actually a psychic?" It was weird talking about such things in such a public place where anyone could possibly be listening, but I was hardly even aware of where we were.

A grave expression fluttered across his features for just a moment before he chortled again. "You're being silly. We're special enough already. I'm pretty sure you aren't psychic, Princess. C'mon, you're really just digging too deep into this whole thing. The only reason you think it's such a big deal is because you think it could mean something, but there's nothing that it could possibly mean. Unless, of course, the fact that he's a prince that's going to sweep you off your feet, but the chances of someone like _him_ going after someone like _you _is less than z—"

With an eyebrow twitching, I reached out and grabbed his cheeks. Pinching them and stretching them with my fingers, I said, "Okay, I get it, Jay. There's no need to speak about that anymore."

"Ow," he murmured when I finally relented and stopped my torture after a moment. He rubbed at his cheeks with the palms of his hands. "That was cruel."

"You deserved it," I retorted mercilessly, folding my arms across my chest.

"You could've at least had _some_ compassion," he muttered. Sighing, he shook his head and asked, "So are you going to go back to class or what?"

My lips automatically tugged into a frown at the thought, and I shook my head. Sliding back down to lay on the bed, I said, "No, I'm not going back."

He wasn't looking at me as he asked, "Scared?"

"Don't joke with me." I stared at his profile as he tilted his head back to stare up at the white ceiling.

"You're really not going back?"

"I wasn't lying when I said I didn't feel well."

"Mm... Okay, then." He clutched at the top of blanket, pulling it up over my shoulders. When he saw my surprised look, he grinned. "Sleep well."

Narrowing my eyes at him a bit, I inquired, "Aren't you going back to class?"

"Nope," he answered easily, no hesitation in his voice whatsoever.

"Why not?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I looked at him.

"Because you're never suppose to leave my side. Mom and Dad would have my head if they knew I left you sleeping so defenselessly." His eyes sparkled as he looked down at me, a wide smile still on his face. "Rest easy. I'm here to protect you, right?"

My throat closed up slightly, and I rolled over onto my side so that my back faced him. I didn't know what I'd do if he saw the expression on my face at his words. "Moron."

He laughed, his hand coming up to lightly stroke my hair. Even though he said he would stay with me, I laid awake waiting for his retreating footsteps. The ticking of the clock seemed thunderous in the silence of the infirmary, but no matter how many sheep I counted or how many minutes I waited, Jay's steady breathing never left.

The thing I realized right before I fell asleep was the fact that the teal-eyed, white-haired male had never denied what I had called him.

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><p><strong>AN :**

That concludes the first chapter! Yeah, yeah, it was probably super boring, but I also feel like there's more than just introducing Yuzuru in this chapter. I mean, I love dropping hints. xD Subtle or not. But yeah. (:

In the three seconds that Toushirou and Rangiku showed up, I hope that I got their personalities right. xD

Also, sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes up there!

I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter ( even though it was probably pretty boring ) and that you guys will support this story.

Please leave me a review; I'd love to hear your thoughts, and it'd be immensely appreciated! (:

Until next time then, guys!

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	2. Shh, You Don't Know

**Disclaimer : I don't own Bleach. It belongs to Kubo Tite.**

**A/N :**

Whoa, guys! I didn't expect so many reviews for the first chapter! It makes me happy that I actually got this many. Thank you guys so much! It's amazing. ;D

There's more Toushirou in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it. I also hope that he, as well as Rangiku, aren't too OOC.

To be honest, I don't really know what to say except for sorry about the relatively late update. OTL. I hadn't actually planned to update so late. -sigh- I'm behind schedule, sorta, but ANYWAYS.

Yeah. (: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

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><p><span>F E A T H E R S<span>

**CHAPTER TWO;**

_"Shh, You Don't Know"_

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><p>"You know," John started wryly, "just because I wasn't there yesterday, it doesn't mean you can just stay in the infirmary and pretend to be sick the entire day. Although your parents are alright with it, <em>I'm <em>not. Don't be so spoiled, Yuzuru."

I met the eyes of the towering brunette that had been stationed as my own personal bodyguard for the past two years with my own charcoal orbs squarely. With my schoolbag slung over one shoulder and my arms folded across my chest, I protested, "I wasn't pretending to be sick."

"That doesn't make it any better. You can't just stay in the nurse's office the entire day sleeping," John retorted, his arms crossed over his broad, muscular chest in a way that mirrored my own stance. "And you even made Jay skip out on all his classes, too."

"Hey, it's not like I _told_ him to stay with me!" I objected, shooting John a look that told him I felt like he was being unfair. "Besides, Jay was sleeping just as soundly as I was, so—" The rest of what I was going to say was muffled by a large hand.

Jay pretended that I wasn't struggling against him as he flashed a smile at the taller male. "You don't need to listen to her, John. No worries, I'll make sure that she stays in class today."

"You spoil her too much," John commented to the onyx-haired male, who only chuckled in response.

"Really? I don't think so," Jay grinned. Taking a glance at his wristwatch, he said, "Sorry, John, we've got to go. Class is going to start soon, and since we were late yesterday, Sensei will have a fit if we're tardy again."

By the way John's eyebrows quirked upwards, I didn't need to see the look in his eyes to know that he knew Jay was lying about the whole teacher thing. However, the guardian didn't call us out on it and decided to let it slide. "Fine. Don't do anything stupid, you two. Kanegai and I'll see you guys later."

"Of course," Jay answered easily, knowing the routine just as well as I did. He waved his free hand at John, who in return gave him a lazy glance. Turning us both around, Jay practically dragged me all the way into the school building before letting me go.

I instantly slammed my fist into his flat stomach, only to retrieve it back instantly. Wincing, I swore under my breath. "I should remember that you're like steel."

Hardly contained laughter was weaved into his tone as he grabbed the hand I had used to punch him, assessing it. "It's not too bad. It might get a bit swollen, though."

"Great," I replied sarcastically as I changed my shoes. "Jay, I can't believe you told John about yesterday. I mean, Mom and Dad don't really care, but you _know_ that John doesn't approve of that stuff."

"You shouldn't feel like the bad guy if you really weren't feeling well," Jay pointed out to me smartly. Seeing me open and close my mouth as I tried to find the right words to speak, he interrupted, "I could tell that you really didn't feel well yesterday, and I'm sure John was just teasing."

Not agreeing with his point of view, I said in a tone that stated I obviously didn't believe him, "Right."

Jay glanced down at me as we walked to class. I raised an eyebrow at him, my eyes not missing the fact that he wasn't smiling anymore. He asked, "Are you going to be alright when you see them today? Not going to freak out or anything like you did yesterday?"

"I was just caught off-guard yesterday," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Don't worry about me so much, Jay. You should take care of yourself a bit more."

"_I_ should be the one saying that to _you_," he retorted, a taint of incredulity in his velvet voice. He massaged his forehead with his fingers, like he was trying to ease a headache that I knew he didn't have. He let out a sigh as he slid open the door of the classroom, his eyes sweeping over the students that were already there. The majority of our classmates were already hanging about, chatting happily—until we came in.

Silence.

His eyes fluttering over to the board, he mused aloud, "I forgot that we're changing desks today. Are you excited?"

"Not interested," I answered frankly as I walked over to the desk that I would be moving out of soon. Jay followed a step behind me, and people parted out of our way like they were ocean waves being pushed aside by a speedboat.

Taking my seat, I didn't bother hanging my bag onto the hook on the side of the desk. I opted for dropping it onto the ground instead. It would be too much of a hassle to have to unhook it in a few minutes anyways when we changed our desks. Jay took the seat next to me, speaking to me about something that was trivial. I knew that he was just trying to take my mind off the heavy tension that hung in the room.

Sweeping over the faces of the room, I took notice of the fact that neither of the transfer students were here yet. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it—relieved? Disappointed? Happy? Angry? I just knew that I didn't feel the usual nonchalance that I had towards these things, but then again, maybe it was because I had never met anyone that looked so similar to people I dreamed about.

"You're not even listening to me," Jay whined, leaning back on the chair so that it rested on the hind legs. A slight pout was painted across his lips, but the twinkle in his eyes told me that he wasn't the least bit offended.

"That's because I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," I responded. It was the truth, after all. I had tried following his conversation in the beginning, but after a while, I just got utterly confused and couldn't bother trying to keep up anymore. It was something to do with the horror movie he wanted to watch, and while I didn't have anything against scary movies, I just couldn't understand what he was trying to tell me after a while.

Shooting me a look, Jay concluded, "So we're watching it tonight, okay?"

"Sure, sure," I agreed offhandedly, not really minding it. Whatever else I had wanted to say to say to the violet-eyed teenager next to me was completely wiped off my mind when three figures walked in through the door.

Looking like they had just been brought to life from perfectly chiseled sculptures, the two transfer students glided into the room with elegance that was hard to miss. While the strawberry blond seemed more optimistic with a bounce in her step, the much shorter male next to her walked with something that I couldn't exactly describe as swag, but the way he carried himself gave off a certain vibe that was difficult to miss.

Our homeroom and English teacher, Omoto-sensei, was the person that trailed behind the two, looking much less graceful. "Alright, class, take your seats, but don't get comfortable! Like usual, we're going to have our monthly seat change. Since this month is October, an even month, it's my turn to create the seating arrangement rather than have you guys come up and pick up random slips to determine your seats. I've already made up the seating layout, so listen for your name and where you sit. Like usual, it's going to be from the desk closest to the front on left side with the windows and then down to the end before starting up front again for the next row. You guys understand this, right?"

The class chimed together a, "Yes, Omoto-sensei."

As the middle-aged man began to call out pairs of names, I couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, my attention already drifting away.

Looking around me, it was clear that the two new transfer students had been accepted warmly into our class. The girls looked dreamily at the white-haired student with the exotic teal eyes, while the males drooled over the curvaceous strawberry blond that had no qualms with showing off her feminine assets.

In my opinion, everyone was just wasting their time. Sure, they were both extremely easy on the eyes, but that was the problem. They both looked so perfect, so untouchable. Unattainable. It seemed so unrealistic that people of their caliber would actually fall head-over-heels in love with anyone in our school, except for maybe a select few that had the same attractiveness as they did.

I had no doubt that while the loving atmosphere would always be hanging around the school, so would clouds of heartbreak. We had a lot of bold students in the school who would, of course, believe they had a chance with either one of the two new students and decide that they would get the new hottest thing around.

Clearly, they were delusional.

Because of _course_ they would just _magically_ fall in love with the confessor like it was the most common thing in the world. There was _no way_ they would decline the declaration of love because they would've decided in those two seconds that they'd known the confessor that the person standing in front of them would be the love of their life. The mere _thought _of rejection was completely and utterly insane.

I almost snorted.

The sad thing was that this was probably how the popular people in this school actually thought. Don't get me wrong—it wasn't as if _all_ the popular people thought this way. I knew because I had witnessed some of them doing amazingly kind and good deeds even when they weren't in the eyes of their peers, but there were just a few of those cocky people who decided that the entire world loved them.

This time, I actually scoffed out loud.

A few pairs of eyes darted towards me, belonging to other students who were sitting around the same area as I was. I ignored their looks, my lips pressing into a thin line at what I had been thinking about.

It wasn't as if the popular kids had ever done anything to me, but that didn't mean that their arrogance wasn't off the charts. I just could never understand the way they thought, and since our mindsets always seemed to clash so violently, I could just never imagine myself being friends with anyone like that.

A tug on my hair pulled me out of my reverie, and I turned to scowl at Jay. "What?"

"Time to move to our new seats, Princess." Jay returned my scowl with his own blindingly bright smile. He got up before me, grabbing his schoolbag and making his way through the crowd of bustling students towards his new seat.

Following his lead, I stood up and grabbed my bag, heading over to column of desks that were closest to the window. Taking a seat on the outer desk of the pair, I placed my bag onto the hook and propped my elbow up on the desk, leaning my chin against my palm. People laughed as they moved to their new seats. The sounds of chairs being pulled out and people greeting each other resounded through the hustling class.

Things like seat changes never bothered me, because it didn't matter what number I got. No matter what, the person that got the seat next to me was—

"Partners again, huh? For another month. How lucky," Jay's smile showed off his dimples.

"Right," I said sarcastically. "It's purely coincidental."

He gave me a look of mock-hurt. "Don't sound as if you don't want to be my partner. I hope that you'll take better care of me this month, Princess. This time, actually let me take a look at your notes when I need to, will you?"

"You're _still _holding that against me?" I demanded from him disbelievingly, reminded of the last time he had tried to take a look at my notes because he couldn't read the teacher's writing. It wasn't as if I purposely tried to hit him when I stretched halfway through.

He didn't reply, only flashing me a grin before greeting the people around us. Everyone wasn't as afraid of Jay as they were of me, but I guess that was because he wasn't the child of a mafia boss.

The seat in front of me was taken out by a slender arm, which connected to a ridiculously shapely body that could many any girl jealous. Plopping down, she instantly whirled around with a dazzling smile. "You're the girl from yesterday! It's nice to meet you. I'm Matsumoto Rangiku! Please take care of me from now on, okay?" She winked at me, her full lips twisting into a smile so enticing I almost wondered if she was trying to seduce me.

"Nice to meet you," I returned. "Please take care of me as well."

When the seat on the other side of me, separated by some space to create an aisle to walk through, was pulled out and occupied, I turned my head over to see who it was. Mild surprise jolted through me when my eyes locked with beautiful turquoise ones. He was seated with a female classmate, who greeted him enthusiastically. When he responded, she looked like she was going to faint.

"Hey, we're pretty close together, Hitsugaya-san!" Rangiku exclaimed, sounding delighted. "This is great. I didn't know what I was going to do if we were seated across the room from each other."

I thought I heard him mutter under his breath, "That would've been better."

Jay tipped his chair back to wave and grin at the white-haired student. "Yo. I'm Michimoto Jay. It's nice to meet you, please take care of me from now on!"

"Hitsugaya Toushirou," the teal-orbed male replied in a voice as smooth and rich as melted chocolate. "The same goes for me, as well."

Looking at him, I realized that the hair _was_ exactly the same. Everything about it was like how I had drawn it—the way a tress of his pure snow hair fell into his left eye, and the way the rest of the strands just kind of stuck up—man, either it was some strange coincidence, or I really actually _had_ seen that hairstyle somewhere in a magazine before.

I wasn't even aware of my blatant staring until Jay nudged me and chided, "Manners, Princess."

"Huh? Oh, I—" I paused, blinking as I was broken out of my train of thought. Instead of having a natural instinct to turn away from someone after being caught staring, my gut instincts always told me to hold my ground. Maybe it was just the way I had been brought up, but I had always believed that by looking away like that, it meant I had lost. "Nice to meet you. I hope we'll get along."

When I didn't say anything else, Toushirou's voice was less than amused as he informed me, "An introduction generally has an exchange of names."

I bit down on my tongue to stop myself from asking him if he was serious. I was sure that he already knew—after all, people I never even knew _existed _knew my name. Did the words of people around him just bounce off of him or was he deaf? I introduced myself quietly with a tone of incredulity. "Tsubaki. Tsubaki Yuzuru."

His eyes darted away after a second. Leaning back against his chair more comfortably, he didn't say anything else. The look on my face was probably one that clearly displayed my confusion at his actions, because Rangiku giggled in front of me and said, "Don't mind him too much. He might act cold, but in reality, Hitsugaya-san is one of the most reliable and cutest guys you'll ever—"

"Matsumoto." A warning was in his voice.

"What? I'm just telling her the truth," she objected. Turning back to me, her breathtaking light azure eyes sparkled like glitter had been thrown in them. "I really hope that we'll become good friends, Yuzuru-chan. Can I call you that?"

For a moment, I was stunned at her behaviour. Did she, like Toushirou, not realize who she was speaking with? For me, seeing someone look at me like that after hearing my name was extraordinarily rare. More often than not, they'd end up running away with shaking knees.

As I recovered from my dazed state, I murmured slowly, "Yuzuru's fine."

"Then call me Rangiku!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. Her waves of blond hair shimmered with every move she made.

Was I dreaming? I stared hard at her for a moment, wondering if she was serious. I couldn't detect any hint of playfulness in her, however, and my mouth opened on its own accord. "Hey, do you know who I am?"

Her eyebrows quirked upwards, a look of confusion crossing her features. "Of course I do! I don't forget things _that _easily."

Shaking my head, I corrected her, "No, that's not what I—"

"Princess," Jay cut me off. When Rangiku and I both looked at him, he smiled and jerked his chin towards the front of the room. "The lesson's started."

"You're right." Rangiku sounded mildly astonished. Before whirling around in her seat to face the front, she grinned at me brightly. "Talk to you again afterward, okay?" I didn't even have time to protest against her.

Turning to look at Jay, he chortled softly at my befuddled look. I murmured almost inaudibly, "Did that just happen?"

He snickered. "Are you knocked speechless?"

"I—well, yeah," I admitted bluntly, blinking my eyes at him.

"Told you so," he boasted in a whisper, his lips pulling over his teeth to create a wide grin.

Shaking my head slightly, I exhaled. Letting my eyes drift over to the board where Omoto-sensei was writing down some English phrases while explaining the structure as well as the differences English had from the Japanese language, I realized that I hadn't even started copying down my notes yet. Keeping my eyes trained on my work, I muttered to Jay, "It's not going to last."

"You're wrong," he answered back instantly, like he had already expected my answer.

"Really now?" The skepticism was transparent in my voice.

"Yeah. It's definitely going to be different this time."

"You sound confident."

Amusement was embroidered along his masculine voice. "That's because I _am_ confident."

Sure enough, when I flicked a glance towards the tall, dark lavender-eyed male next to me, self-assurance was dancing along his features like it was prancing to an invisible beat that I couldn't hear. There was nothing about him that hinted he believed he could even be the slightest bit incorrect—there was nothing but absolute trust in himself that he was right and that I was wrong.

It was unnerving.

I wasn't sure how he could believe in himself—or, well, in Toushirou and Rangiku—as much as he did. I wasn't going to deny the fact that he was an excellent judge of character, but it wasn't as if the two of them were the first people to ever approach me. What made them so different? Was it the fact that they _looked _different from the rest?

Jay wasn't so shallow as to think that way.

Perhaps Jay, just like I did, felt a unique kind of aura from the two of them. They radiated something that others didn't have, and it wasn't just some kind of intimidating vibe. They just gave off the impression that they were different than everyone else in all kinds of ways, whether it be the way they perceived things or how they handled situations. I felt like they gave off the notion that they really just didn't care what others thought of them. They held a sensation of open-mindedness.

Sighing, I tuned out whatever Omoto-sensei was talking about and gave up trying to follow along with his lesson. It was just too boring—his voice, while not exactly monotonous, lacked passion or genuine enthusiasm. Of course, the middle-aged man was a nice teacher and a good person in general, but it was obvious he didn't do this job because he loved it.

Reaching for my bag that hung on the side of my desk, I opened up it up, pulling out my sketchbook before zipping up the bag once more. I ignored Jay's mildly chiding, but amused glance and flipped it open to a clean page. I pondered briefly on what I wanted to sketch to pass the time, but I didn't have to think for long.

Looking off to my side, Jay's handsome profile greeted me as he stared ahead at the board, a daydreaming gleam in his eyes. He was twirling his pen in his hand absentmindedly, something that I couldn't accomplish no matter how hard I tried. I always managed to drop it somehow, and more often than not, it would disrupt the entire class. Behind him—or, well, it was behind him if you looked at him through profile—was the window, which let me see outside into the scenery below. The season was autumn already, the leaves that decorated trees having turned beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown by now.

After staring at my childhood best friend for another few seconds, I turned back to my blank sheet of paper and began to draw.

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><p>Jay and I were on the rooftop at lunch eating and discussing a new CD that had come out yesterday when, abruptly, the door that led up to where we were swung open. Automatically, my eyebrows furrowed together and a frown tugged at my lips as I looked up at who it was that interrupted our conversation. It was rare that people came up to the rooftop simply because they knew I was always there, so it sparked my curiosity to see who was brave enough to break the set of invisible rules that had been set out.<p>

I felt like I should've known.

Rangiku sauntered through the doors, flipping her tendrils of glossy long hair over her slim shoulders. She didn't seem to have noticed us as she exclaimed, "I never knew that high school guys these days were so ambitious!"

"That's why I said to change the way you dress, Matsumoto." Toushirou entered after the taller woman, his hands in his pockets. His eyes were closed, an irritated tone etched into his voice.

"What's wrong with the way I dress, Taichou?" Rangiku's voice held a whining tone to it, and she stood with her hip sticking out to one side slightly as she rested all her weight on one of her slender, long legs.

A few retorts to her question popped into my mind, but what pushed all of _that _out of the way was the fact that she had called him "taichou". I could feel my eyebrows rising at the title. Perhaps it was because I didn't understand relationships all that well, and it was unfair of me to judge since I didn't know them on a deep level, but wasn't that a little... unusual?

But then I realized Jay called me "princess", and the thought just kind of disappeared from my mind. I had no right to call _them_ weird when what Rangiku was doing was kind of like what Jay did with me.

Toushirou let out a soft, exasperated sigh. "We've been over this before, Matsumoto."

"Yeah, but Taichou, I don't—" Rangiku stopped her sentence abruptly as she caught sight of Jay and I. Her eyes widened for a moment in surprise before they began to twinkle. Energetically, she made her way towards us. I prepared myself for some yelling since I was sure she thought we were eavesdropping, but instead, I felt her arms wrap around me and pull me to her.

My cry of surprise was muffled by her enormous breasts, and my natural instinct was to immediately try and pull away. It was like she was made out of stone, however, and I couldn't even budge a tiny bit. In fact, her grip on me tightened.

"Yuzuru! And Jay, too! I didn't see you guys here. You guys disappeared so fast when the bell rang, you two could've been the wind." Rangiku's bright voice seemed tainted with both amazement and disappointment. "I wanted to talk with you guys more, but I didn't know where you'd be. I'm so glad that I found you two!"

Jay chuckled, amusement sparking in his features. "Hey there, Rangiku. What's up, Toushirou?"

"It's 'Hitsugaya-san'," Toushirou corrected, a vein visibly throbbing along his temple as mild aggravation lined his tone.

Jay pretended not to hear him. "What brings you guys here to the rooftop? And hey, easy on her, Rangiku. Princess looks like she's about to pass out from the lack of air."

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Rangiku immediately let go of me, blinking her wide, crystalline cerulean eyes.

I gulped in some air and asked her through gasps, "Were you trying to kill me or what?"

"Of course not," the busty female denied. "But you're extremely tiny, Yuzuru! You're even smaller than Taichou, and that's saying someth—"

"_Matsumoto_," Toushirou growled softly. "That's enough already."

The tall woman jutted her full bottom lip out into a pout. "But Taichou, it's not like it's a bad thing being small! I mean, it's really cute. I love hugging people who are so petite—it's like a human teddy bear!" She didn't give me a warning as she once again flung her arms around me, pulling me to her once more. This time, though, the embrace was gentler, but still firm enough to convey her love for hugging people.

I let out some sort of strangled noise—it was created from a mixture of both surprise and objection—that sounded similar to a cat trying to cough up a fur-ball. My body tensed instantly at her touch, an uncomfortable feeling crawling through me. It wasn't as if I _hated _physical contact with people, but it was just that I wasn't used to it. The fact that someone I hardly even knew was embracing me so casually and so closely made me feel uneasy.

"A human teddy bear?" Toushirou repeated, sounding somewhat horrified. His lips parted, a look of vehement opposition playing along his handsome and serious features for a second before he seemed to think better of it. Exhaling deeply, he muttered, "I'm not even—forget it."

"It's kind of true, though," Jay mused aloud. "They're just not as fluffy."

"But people are so much warmer," Rangiku pointed out. "And they generally smell better than something like a stuffed animal."

Leaning back on his palms, Jay admitted, "True. But the thing is, some people are just really bad sleepers, you know? Inanimate plush toys wouldn't roll around and try to kick me off the bed."

My voice was laced with incredulity as I protested, "That was _once_, Jay."

"It happened four times." He raised an eyebrow at me challengingly. "I can name each and every single time it happened. Do you _know_ how much it hurt? You have no idea how it feels to be woken up in the middle of the night because you got kicked out of bed by your best friend that's less than half your size. I don't even know how that _works_, Princess."

"You need to stop holding all this stuff against me," I told him seriously. I knew that if I tried to deny what he said, he would actually list out all the times I had actually pushed him out of my bed while in my sleep. "What happened to 'forgive and forget'?"

"What are you talking about?" Jay gave me a look. "You're always forgiven—I just never forget."

"You always remember all the bad stuff I've done," I muttered, folding my arms across my chest. "Yet there's never a time where you remember all the _amazing_ things I've done for you." Like that time I saved him from a week's worth of detention by drawing the teacher's attention to myself, or when I had helped him out of a pinch that involved the mall's police officers.

The onyx-haired male shook his head. "Not true. I don't just remember all the bad things you've done."

Skepticism was evident in my voice. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." His eyes sparkled. "I mean, I remember all the stupid stuff, too. And the embarrassing things."

A wave of disbelief ran through me, but I knew he was joking. It was why my tone had no real bite in it as I declared, "You're an ass, Jay."

Jay laughed, and Rangiku joined in with her own tinkling melody. She had been listening to our exchange silently, amusement never once leaving her blessed features. Toushirou didn't look amused—in fact, he didn't seem to be listening at all. Instead, he was staring at his cell phone with a solemn expression, his eyebrows furrowed.

Staring at the lean, sun-kissed student, I couldn't help but feel my eyebrows pull together as well. There was something strange about his expression that bothered me. He looked torn between worried, frustrated, and confused. His perfectly sculpted lips were twisted downwards into a grimace, his fingers pressing rapidly at the mobile keys. My curiosity was ignited as I watched him tap away at his phone, wanting to know what he was doing.

Rangiku's voice diverted my attention away from the male, though. "Have you two known each other for a long time? You guys seem like such close friends!"

"I've known Jay for as long as I can remember," I answered. To be honest, I couldn't remember a time from _before_ I knew Jay. Whenever I thought back to my past, Jay had always been there with me. It was why we weren't just best friends, but also not just brother and sister, either. We had become each other's _both_—we were each other's best friend, but we were also one another's sibling. He was the brother I never had, and I was the sister he never had.

Despite all the arguing Jay and I did constantly and how different we seemed to others who looked at us, we were inseparable. There weren't many things that I leaned on for support. I could count them off easily with just a single hand, but Jay had always secured a spot as my pillar, and I was his. It was just the way it worked between us—I never doubted my relationship with Jay, never wondered when it would end, never felt like it would break. Experience had taught us that no matter what happened, we always found our way back to each other somehow.

"So you guys can talk to each other about anything?" Rangiku questioned. When Jay confirmed her thoughts, she let out a loud groan. "Man, you guys are so lucky to have each other! I have a lot of guy friends back home, but whenever I start talking about something like how it's so hard to find clothes that fit me because of my breasts, they start getting all squirmy about it."

I wasn't sure whether or not I was surprised at what she had said. After all, she seemed like the type to be open about practically anything. She spoke about something that would embarrass most people so casually, like she was talking about the weather. It made me wonder how she could feel comfortable enough to do so, but I already knew the answer to that question.

Jay laughed. "Well, we never have that problem, since Princess is pretty much flat."

"Announce it to the world, Jay," I urged him dryly, rolling my eyes. It didn't matter much to me that he said something like that. After all, it wasn't very hard for one to see for themselves that I lacked assets that females should have. Even if he told people about it, they'd already know after seeing me once.

"Don't worry," Rangiku reassured me, a wide grin on her face. "Everyone's body is different. You'll grow some big ones eventually. But let me tell you—you _really_ don't want ones as big as mine. My back hurts sometimes because they're so heavy."

"I see," I told her slowly. I blinked for a moment being voicing aloud my thoughts, "Why are we talking about breasts, exactly?" I didn't know how it got to this topic. I remembered talking about being close with Jay, and then it turned to something like _this_. It wasn't as if I was uncomfortable with speaking about it, but it was just odd.

I was pretty sure that normal girls at lunch talked about boys, the latest fashion, or maybe their hair—did they talk about their breasts like this? I had no idea, but it just seemed weird to me. Perhaps some people _did_ approach this subject, but did they really do that at school during lunch hour?

My face scrunched up slightly as I thought hard about this.

But like always, my train of thought was broken by some sort of disruption in the world outside of my mind. This time, it was a thunderous crash that was so loud, I felt like I could feel my bones shaking from it. Startled, I whipped my head towards where I thought the sound was coming from, which turned out to be north of Karakura High Academy, close to the outskirts of Karakura Town.

A stream of dust shot up into the air for a short moment before the particles began falling back down again, and I could only stare at the scene with slightly wide eyes. My hands clenched together, my insides twisting apprehensively as I tried to imagine just what had happened. This time, the Hollow that was causing havoc was too small to tower over buildings, so I couldn't see what was actually going on.

"Matsumoto," Toushirou's voice rang out from behind us. He said something else, but it was too quiet and quick for me to pick up.

"I got it!" The blond left her carefree drawl, opting for a more determined and stern voice. I whirled around just in time to see the ends of Rangiku's strawberry blond tresses as she disappeared through the rooftops doors, her gracefulness too fluent to be compared to a gazelle's.

With a sense of urgency, I ran towards where the tall blond disappeared out of my sight. "Wait, Rangiku! _Stop_!" But she was clearly too far gone to hear me. I whirled around to face the white-haired male and demanded, "Where the hell is she going?"

"Something urgent came up." Toushirou flicked me a glance.

"She can't just _leave_!" I objected, scowling at him. Even if he couldn't see the stupid monster thing, this idiot _must_ have heard the fall of a building and seen the dust and dirt fly into the air, right? So what the hell was he doing, letting her go?

"And why not?" He narrowed his eyes slightly at me, an expectant look in his eyes.

"You just—what do you _mean_?" I burst out, my heart thumping a bit harder than usual. I ran a hand roughly through my hair. How was I going to explain it to someone so mundane and not sound like I was some insane person that needed to be sent to an asylum for the mentally disabled? "Look, I just—you just can't go."

Despite the look of general indifference on his face, Toushirou somehow seemed to be so intimidating. He had his hands in his pockets, his back slouched a bit, but something about him was ridiculously defiant. "Is there any reason to your argument, or—"

Rudely, I cut him off. "I can't explain it to you properly, but—"

This time, it was Jay that interrupted the conversation. He clamped a hand over my mouth to stop me from speaking, similar to what he had done this morning, and shook his head at me as I stared up at him with a glower. "She just doesn't like it when people leave her in the middle of a talk. It bothers her a lot, but that's just how she is."

What was Jay _doing_? If he was going to lie about something, he should at least lie _well_. And it wasn't even the fact that he was lying about me that got me riled up—it was the fact that he, too, knew what the cause of the racket was, yet he wasn't trying to do anything to stop Rangiku from going back there. I knew that if he wanted to, he probably would've caught up with her.

Was that why Toushirou had been staring so intently at his phone earlier? Because he had been receiving news about some family problem or something? I didn't know what was going on, but how was it possible that it was just so coincidental? It was like these people had the most amazing timing _ever_. It was _so_ clear that Fate favoured them.

The sarcasm that always lathered itself onto my thoughts made no exception this time.

"I see." It was clear from the way Toushirou said it that he didn't believe Jay's lie at all.

Nonetheless, Jay's lips still maintained their slight upwards quirk. I wanted to punch him to wipe that smile off his face—it was a serious situation, and while I knew that Jay just dealt with things much differently than I did, I still couldn't help but feel myself scowling at him.

"You don't need to go with her?" Jay inquired the snow-haired male.

Toushirou's eyes glided over us to stare at the place where the dust had burst up for a second before letting his orbs connect solidly with Jay's once more. "No. Matsumoto will be fine on her own."

"If you say so," Jay murmured. Shooting me a warning glance before releasing me, Jay informed Toushirou, "Lunch is actually going to be over soon. We should clean up and then start heading to class."

I had barely opened my mouth to speak when Jay elbowed me roughly in the ribs, telling me to shut up. I clamped my lips together after a second's debate, my arms folded across my chest. No matter how much I wanted to, I knew that I couldn't start talking about supernatural things in front of Toushirou. He'd probably think that I got dropped too many times as a baby.

"Alright then," Toushirou agreed. He was just about to help us pack up our things when, suddenly, his phone began to beep once more. In a split second, he had whipped the device out and was staring at the screen intently. Immediately, his face contorted into a scowl.

"What's wrong?" I asked him carefully, watching him with scrutinizing eyes.

He didn't look at me as he put his phone back into his pocket. "It's nothing."

And as I stared at the back of his head as we made our way back to class, one single word kept racing through my mind.  
><em><br>Liar._

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><p><strong>AN :  
><strong>

And that concludes the second chapter! I hope you guys liked it.

Sorry if the breast talk was awkward for anyone, but I felt like it was something Rangiku would say. xD Which brings me to my next point, which is just down below!

I apologize right now for any OOCness that may have occurred ( If you feel like Toushirou or Rangiku or maybe both of them weren't in character, I'd greatly appreciate your thoughts on what went wrong and how to improve so that they _are _in character for the next chapter! ), any grammar or spelling mistakes, and the like.

Endless love and thanks to;

**MaxInu23, MoonlitNite, Tsukuda Sumiko, AliceMarieSwan, Deathkiki, and Youknowwhothisis**

You guys are more than amazing for reviewing for me. You guys don't know how much it means to me (:

Thank you to those of you who alerted and favourited, as well!

To **MaxInu23**; No, actually. I never knew that there was a song called 'Feathers' by Coheed and Cambira, but then again, I never knew that there was such a group with that name. HAHA. Is it a good song? (: Thank you so much for reviewing for me! I hope you liked this chapter.

To **MoonlitNite;** EBONWEOBEWB. Thank you so much! I'm so happy to see you supporting this story, as well. You're amazing. HAHA. I'm glad that you like her! (: Thank you so much for reviewing, and for supporting me so much. -grins- I hope to hear from you again, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

To **Tsukuda Sumiko; **LOL. Does she really actually found that young? When I was writing it, I didn't think she sounded little, but maybe that's just me. I was just kinda aiming for someone who was horrible at comebacks. HAHA. And trust me- I was kind of aiming for funny when she was talking about his hair. Just kinda. -grins- Thank you so much for supporting me for this story as well! You're so incredible. (: I really look forward to having your support, and I hope to hear from you again! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! (:

To **AliceMarieSwan; **I recognize you! -heart- Thank you so much for reviewing for me so often all the time! You're an awesome reader. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! (:

To **Deathkiki;** Well, it depends on if you consider this fast. OTL. Sorry? x.x" HAHA. It happened to me before, too. I got kind of creeped out, but I thought it was also kinda cool. (: NEBOWNBPWEB. Thank you so much for your support! Reading your review made me smile. (: I really hope you liked this chapter, and I hope to hear from you again!

To **Youknowwhothisis;** Ahmygod, YES. I feel like that sums up everything I need to say in regards to your review, since I agree with everything you said. LOL. Thank you so much for your continuous support! You're amazing. I hope you liked this chapter! -grins-

Well, yeah... I'd love to hear from more people about their thoughts; hate it, like it, love it, whichever. Criticism is also appreciated. (:

_Please review for me, you guys!_ Reviews are what fuels a writer to spit out chapters faster. xD

I hope to see you guys soon with the next update! (:

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	3. Don't Remember, Don't Remember

**Disclaimer : Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.**

**A/N :**

Hey, guys! I wanted to thank you guys for the review you guys gave me in the previous chapter; it really made me happy! I hope that this fanfic will become a success, so I hope that you guys will continue to support me by sending in your reviews. I've gotten quite a bit of alerts and favourites, but c'mon, you guys, dropping me a review would be deeply appreciated! I'd love to hear your thoughts. =P

Okay, well, this is the next chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it! (:

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><p><span>F E A T H E R S<span>

**CHAPTER THREE;**

_"Don't Remember, Don't Remember"_

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><p>My hand had just touched the doorknob that led outside when I heard someone cough behind me. Cursing under my breath, I whipped my head around to stare at the person that stood leaning against the foyer's door frame with his arms folded across his wide chest.<p>

"What do you think you're doing?"

I glanced down at the two black and white coated companions that stood on both sides, their heads also turned to stare at the man that stood before us. Giving him a look, I asked, "Well, what does it _look _like?"

John didn't look entertained. "You _know_ you can't go out anywhere alone."

"It's six in the morning, John," I retorted. "I really doubt that there are going to be people out in the streets this early just _waiting_ for me to pass by and then take the chance to kidnap me or something."

"Yuzuru." The twenty-four-year-old man paused a while after saying my name before letting out a loud sigh. Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his shaggy chocolate hair and reprimanded in his low voice, "You know better than this."

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," I answered. Even though it was so early in the morning, the hazel-eyed bodyguard was still dressed up the classical black suit that every member of the Tsubaki group seemed to possess. His hair was more disheveled than usual, and his eyes were still slightly lidded, as if he wasn't completely awake. The sunglasses that usually covered his eyes were hanging from the breast pocket of his suit, but despite it all, he still looked intimidating.

A darker look flashed across his face, and his entire body tensed up. Narrowing his eyes at me and looking much more awake than he did just a second ago, he warned, "Don't. I'm not getting into this with you today, and definitely not at six in the morning. It doesn't matter if you're going to school or going out to walk Patch and Alpha or whatever—you need either Jay or I with you."

Staring at the serious walnut-haired person in front of me, I was going to object to what he was saying. I wasn't three, five, or ten anymore. I didn't need to be followed around by people, having them protect me because I couldn't do it myself. But even if I were to say something like that—if I were to tell him I could take care of myself—which one of us would actually believe it?

So instead, I swallowed down all the indignant replies that were itching to roll off my tip of the tongue and settled with a curt, "Fine."

Whirling around again, I yanked open the front door with more force than necessary, holding it open as the two Siberian Huskies padded out of the house, racing down the steps before stopping at the bottom, circling around for a few moments before sitting down and waiting for me to catch up to them. I didn't even spare John a glance as I hurried down the steps of the porch, continuing my fast pace towards the front gates as I called out for my furry friends to follow me.

I had jogged at least a block away from my house before I slowed down to a normal walk, looking over my shoulder to make sure that John hadn't caught up yet. I knew that he'd eventually catch up with me, and I knew that it wasn't right of me to agree to him coming along and then ditch him before he was completely ready to go, but I couldn't help it.

I was a jerk, but at least I was able to admit it.

Exhaling loudly, I watched as both Patch and Alpha ran around playfully, not affected by the cold at all due to their thick fur coats. They looked like they were having fun as they meandered here and there, sometimes pausing in their trek to scuff at something on the ground. My hands were in my pockets as I trailed after them, and I was slightly surprised at the cool weather. Despite wearing a coat, I still felt a minor chill, but perhaps that was because it was such an early time in the morning of autumn.

Tilting my head back, I looked up at the grey, dreary sky and let out another sigh. It looked so lifeless, so dull. It wasn't as beautiful as when night blanketed the sky with stars and the moon pierced vibrantly through the darkness, or when the sun shone against a blue sky that was just as bright. Even thunderstorms, where lightning would flash across the sky, was more exciting and interesting than a day like today.

The same routine again, day after day after day.

Spotting a familiar tall figure that stood a few steps away from an average house's front gate, I could feel my mind automatically pushing away everything that I had been thinking about earlier, trying to erase the lack of sparking feelings inside me.

Hands still in the pockets of my jacket, I stopped beside the blond male without flicking him a glance. I gazed at the house that he was staring intently at, not seeing anything special, but knowing that it was to him.

"You need a life," I told him casually.

"If I could get mine back, I would," he shot back at me. His blue eyes slid down to rest on me, and he inquired, "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in a while."

"What are _you _doing here?" I countered swiftly, still staring at the house. None of the lights were on, but with the large "for sale" sign that had been stuck into the grass on the lawn, I wasn't surprised. "I thought you would've moved on by now. Why are you still stuck in this state, staring at this empty house in a world that you don't belong in?"

He let out a chuckle, and even though I could hear the mild warmth in it, it still sounded so hollow. "You're still the same."

"Unfortunately, I can say the same for you. Why?" I blew out a sigh. "It's been two weeks already since the last time I came."

"Trying to get rid of me, huh? I see how it is," Chris joked half-heartedly. When I gave him a look that told him I wanted a true answer, the quirk of his lips fell down into a frown. "I can't go yet."

"So you're just going to continue staring at this house?" Looking up at him, I felt my eyebrows rise upwards. "It's time to move on, don't you think?"

His dimmed eyes softened a bit as he continued staring at the house that he and his girlfriend used to live in. "I can't."

"The longer you stay, the more it'll just hurt you," I pointed out to him as my eyes analyzed the white house with red tiles forming the roof. When Chris and his significant other had lived in it, it had seemed a lot brighter than it did now. It seemed more beautiful. Now, with both of them no longer occupying the place, it lost the glow that I used to see in it. Just as quickly as it started, it ended without a trace.

"I know," he answered. "But I just—I want to, but I can't." He let out a soft sigh, shaking his head. "There's no way you can possibly understand this feeling."

Unable to help it, a scoff escaped my lips before I could stop myself. "Don't talk to me like I'm inferior to you just because you're older. Don't talk to me about feelings, compassion, empathy—_understanding _you—when you don't know me, either." Not sparing him another look, I pivoted on my heels and began walking away, my footsteps quiet in the silence of the morning. His eyes burned holes into the back of my head, but I chose to ignore it.

"Yuzuru—" he started, but I cut him off.

Halting momentarily in my steps, I informed him, "I'll drop by tomorrow with Jay." He had always been better at these things than I was, and I was sure that Chris needed Jay's gentleness rather than my unfiltered curtness. Not to mention the onyx-haired teenager was much more patient than I was, so his fuse wouldn't go off as fast as mine did.

It hadn't been that long since the last time I saw the spirit, but I had forgotten just how easily his words got to me. We got angry with each other so often, I had lost count after the fifteenth time. They were always small fights that were forgotten and forgiven in times as short as a minute, but nonetheless, an argument was still an argument.

When he spoke again, his voice was soft and held the tone of slightly uplifted lips. "Okay."

Biting back another sigh, I put one foot in front of the other and continued on my way, pulling my hands out of my pockets to briefly ruffle both Patch and Alpha's heads, considering they had been sitting there waiting patiently for me to finish instead of running off and causing mischief. They let out gentle, contented growls and wagged their tails as they trotted next to me as we continued our walk.

We had gotten a few meters away from where Chris had been when Alpha started barking. Patch tugged on my sweats with her teeth gently, and perplexed, I looked down at them wondering what they were doing. Alpha swung his head over to look at me, his icy blue eyes blinking into my onyx ones, before he barked again and turned his head back to where we had come. He trotted back a few steps, looking back at me as if he was telling me to follow him.

"What's wrong, Alpha, Patch?" I asked them, though I knew they really couldn't respond with words I'd understand. Instead, Patch pulled insistently on the fabric of my pants.

Shaking my head at her, I scratched behind her ears. I didn't know what they were doing, but it wasn't the first time that they wanted to go back for nothing. Sometimes they'd find a particular spot they were fond of during our walks and would want to go back, but I wasn't about to turn back around and bask in Chris' presence longer than I needed to—especially not when I barely had any time to get over our conversation.

"C'mon guys, let's go," I murmured to them as I began to round a corner. "Alpha—"

"Yuzuru!" John's exasperated voice hollered out behind me.

Turning my head to look over my shoulder, I had barely opened my mouth to respond when I abruptly crashed into someone. I took a step back to stabilize myself at the unexpected contact, only to step into an indent on the pavement created from chipping cement. The feeling of falling backwards assaulted me again, and I let out a slightly surprised noise that sounded something along the lines of "W-Wah—!"

But a golden-tanned hand shot out and wrapped itself around my forearm, preventing me from falling onto my behind and pulling me up to gain my equilibrium. The coolness of his hand was barely felt through the layers of clothing that I had on, and the grip was strong despite being gentle.

"Thank you," I said as I tried to stop the rapid pounding of my heart that had been created from the near-fall. "Sorry about that, it was my fault. I need to watch where I'm—_Toushirou_?" Incredulously, I stared up at vibrantly bright turquoise eyes that gazed back at me, mild surprise dancing in them for a moment.

"Tsubaki," he greeted in his calm, collected voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," I replied. His hold on my forearm disappeared, and I could only raise my eyebrows at him expectantly. "Is there any reason why you're out walking around at six something in the morning?"

The exotic male stuffed his hands into the pockets of the black jacket he was wearing, the fake fur-lined hood not pulled up over his snow-white tresses of hair. "I could ask you the same thing."

I gestured towards the Huskies that were staring up at Toushirou curiously, and my classmate only looked down at them as if just noticing their presence. No emotions gave away what he was thinking as he stared at them. Waving a hand at the dogs in explanation, I said, "This is why."

Before Toushirou could respond, Alpha jumped up onto him. Standing on his hind legs with his front paws resting on Toushirou's chest, Alpha stared at Toushirou curiously. Patch, too, nudged the teal-orbed male's leg with her nose.

"They like you," I commented, trying to keep the surprise out of my tone but failing. I blinked at them with just a tad of astonishment. "Huh."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Even though he said it, his tone indicated that he wasn't really looking for an answer. Instead, he met Alpha's gaze squarely for a moment before sighing and looking at me. "Can you get them off me?"

"Is Alpha too heavy for you?" I tried my hardest not to smirk.

His eyebrow visibly twitched, and he shut his eyes like he wanted me to disappear in the time it took him to open them again. "This is coming from someone smaller than I am."

"I like Alpha and Patch's positions the way they are," I told him, making no move to remove the large Huskies from the small male. Alpha began to sniff Toushirou, bringing his nose close up to the white-haired male's neck.

Agitation was in Toushirou's voice when he spoke again. "Tsubaki—"

I whistled, interrupting him. "Alpha, Patch." Both of them turned their heads to look at me, and I gave them a nod. "Off." Obediently, the two of them moved off of Toushirou and came back to my side. Patch rubbed her head along my leg while Alpha circled around Toushirou and I at a steady pace.

"Thanks," Toushirou muttered, brushing off the tiny bits of gravel that Alpha had gotten on his jacket.

Ignoring what he said, I repeated from the beginning, "What are you doing this early in the morning?"

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with," he replied smoothly. His voice that seemed too deep to match his age spoke civilly. Just by hearing how fluent he said this phrase and how he made it seem so detached and non-offending made me wonder how many times he had to use it before it got perfected to such a state.

"Touché." My hands curled up into fists inside the pocket of my thin white jacket. Staring unwaveringly into this sea-green eyes, I asked him, "How's Rangiku?"

For a moment so brief that I wondered if I had been imagining it, his entire body stiffened before loosening again as he regained his composure. Giving me a mildly puzzled look, he answered, "She's fine. Is there any particular reason why you asked?"

Well, besides the fact that she had been heading straight towards some soul-eating monster that would've ripped her to shreds? Or could I tell him it was because there had been a Hollow rampaging around town at that time she had left and I was wondering if she had died yet?

But despite this, I knew that she was fine. She hadn't returned to school afterward, but I just knew it. It was simply this feeling that I got—it was a presence that was so distinctly Rangiku. Warm, cheerful, and definitely still there. I knew that I had felt something similar to this sort of sensation before—several times, in fact—but it slipped my mind what it was.

I had laid in bed for hours trying to remember what it was, but whenever I felt like I was about to remember, the thought just faded away, slipping through the cracks of my fingers. It had been so incredibly frustrating, but I kept trying to pinpoint just what the feeling was. Even after hours of it, I hadn't been able to find the answer and had eventually just succumbed to the sleep that had been crawling along the edges of my mind.

I swallowed down whatever I had been about to say and lied, "If she ran out of school because something came up, then it must've been something really important. Was anyone hurt?"

"...No," Toushirou answered after a moment as he eyed me. It wasn't a flattering look, but rather one that was scrutinizing and calculating. It was like he was trying to figure something about me out, and I didn't know what. "Everyone's fine."

"I see." I paused for a moment before asking him straightforwardly, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

His expression didn't even twitch from the solemn nonchalance it always seemed to be set in. "I never saw you as the arrogant type, Tsubaki."

I lifted a shoulder up in a small shrug of indifference. "I'm not being cocky—you _were _giving me this strange look." Staring at him, I blew out another sigh. "I hate it. Don't look at me like you need to figure me out, as if I'm some sort of puzzle. If you want to know something about me, just ask. It's not like I'm going to bite your head off."

"I'd already have done so if there was anything I actually needed to know," he replied swiftly. His large, unusually coloured eyes broke away from mine and fluttered to look at something over my shoulder. "Someone's waiting for you, Tsubaki."

Unfazed, I followed his line of vision, already knowing who it was. John stood with his arms folded across his chest a few feet away to give us our privacy, but it was obvious he was on high alert.

Turning back to Toushirou, I waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. That's John."

"You shouldn't keep people waiting," he faintly reprimanded, no real bite in his voice. "Especially if we're done talking here."

"Don't decide when to end conversations all on your own," I muttered, though there really wasn't anything we could talk about even if he stayed.

"I don't have a lot of time," Toushirou informed me. Even though nothing about him indicated it, I was sure that he was thinking what I was. "I'm busy."

"This early in the morning?" I gave him a mildly amused look. He wasn't carrying anything—at least, nothing that I could visibly see—and I highly doubted that Toushirou was Karakura Town's newest newspaper delivery boy. The chances of him being genuinely busy were so rare, I wondered what kind of pathetic excuse he was going to give me. "Busy? Doing _what_?"

"None of your business," he replied coolly.

In my ears, that sounded like one of two things. Either he really just had nothing to do and couldn't think of a good enough excuse, or he was doing something top secret that he couldn't let people know about. Or, well, maybe it was just because he was a reserved individual and didn't want people all up in his business, but I liked to think that he didn't want to say because he was just really bad at lying.

It made me dislike him a little less—almost as if I felt like it tainted his perfection just a bit.

"Such secrecy." Entertainment was laced lightly into my tone. "I won't pry, but if what you're doing is really such classified stuff, it's better if you're a bit more discreet about yourself. After all, you already stick out like a sore thumb with your blindingly white hair." I shrugged again. "Just some advice."

"Don't tell me what I already know," Toushirou muttered. He let out a soft breath that seemed tinged with exhaustion and tiredness, and said, "Be careful—who knows what could happen when the town is still asleep." He began walking away, his footsteps hardly making a sound.

I turned to watch him go. "You as well, Toushirou."

His footsteps didn't falter, and he didn't turn back to look at me as he corrected, "You mean 'Hitsugaya-san', Tsubaki."

"You wish!" I scoffed loudly for him to hear. "Try not to get robbed by thugs!"

He must've decided that it was better for him just to remain silent, as he didn't respond to my comment. Despite his petite size, he was extremely quick, and it wasn't long before he had disappeared from my line of vision. When he was gone, I turned back to John, who made his way over to my side.

"Who was that?"

"What's it to you?" My mouth immediately moved on its own, already having expected this question from the bodyguard.

"He looks like a delinquent," John commented easily. "I never thought you'd be hanging out with those types. It's best not to get involved with them."

My eyes slid over to the suit-clad man. "I don't want to hear that from someone who was in a gang during his middle school days. You should know better than anyone else that appearance doesn't mean anything."

John had emphasized this to me even more than my own parents had. As someone who had always been judged his entire life, John had always hated judging others without truly knowing them. He had said he didn't want anyone to feel the way that he had.

"I never said that he was a bad kid," John defended easily. "I just said that he looks like a delinquent—is it possible for someone to have naturally white hair like that without being a senior?"

"Did you really just ask me that?" I shook my head at him, trailing after Patch and Alpha who had gotten bored and had padded a few feet ahead.

John made a dismissive noise as he walked beside me. "How do you know someone like that? I don't recall seeing him before, either."

"You're being nosy," I told him frankly.

"Can't you just stop being difficult and answer the question?" John shot back at me, annoyance lining his tone just like lace lined frilly skirts. It was evident that he still wasn't all that happy about how I had tried to sneak out earlier today, but it was so unfair how I just _had_ to protected by everyone all the time.

It wasn't as if I was _completely_ defenseless. If worse came to worse, I was pretty sure I knew where to hit the men who were trying to kidnap me. And I knew that hitting them in that specific spot would make them kneel over in pain for a few moments at the very least. Unless they worse something there, expecting people to aim for that area, but the chances of that happening seemed slim to none.

But then again, I wasn't a guy, so I really couldn't be sure.

"... He's a new transferee," I answered eventually after a moment of silence in which John waited for my answer with faint impatience.

"Is that so?" John let out a low hum. "Is he nice?"

"I spoke with him twice," I responded flatly. "Do you really expect me to know?" It wasn't as if I was completely horrible at being a judge of character, but I was no expert at it, either. I had my ups and downs with it. I always felt that as long as they didn't say or do anything that pissed me off, then they were alright people. That was just how I generally grouped people upon the first few meetings.

John let out a small, hoarse chuckle. "Honestly, I'm surprised you spoke with him at all. Or should it be the other way around—the fact that _he'd_ speak so casually with _you_."

"I know what you mean," I admitted. "I never expected it." It was still hard to wrap my mind around the fact that both Toushirou and Rangiku seemed absolutely alright with speaking with me. It was such an unusual thing for people to be able to talk to me the way that the two of them did—most people avoided me like I was the plague and tried to come into contact with me as little as they possibly could. Everyone basically left me alone, not wanting to have anything to do with me.

And it wasn't like I hated it.

The way I saw it, I didn't need people who called themselves my "friends" when they had been so scared of me without even trying to get to know me. I was fine being alone if that meant that I didn't need to deal with people. As long as it meant I didn't need to be caught up in drama with others. So when people isolated me from them, I didn't mind it.

But Toushirou and Rangiku were different, and I really wasn't sure how I felt about it.

"Don't scare them away now," John joked, resting his large, calloused hand on the top of my head and roughly mussing up my hair. When I looked up at him with a slight scowl on my face, his hazel eyes—eyes that so many people were afraid of—were as soft and gentle as a single leaf fluttering in a dance to the ground. "I'm happy for you, Yuzuru."

For some reason, my throat closed a bit and tightened, my heart squeezing inside my chest. I looked away from him, feeling my face warm up slightly. "What are you talking about? It's too early to say something like that."

Laughter tumbled out of John's lips. "Don't give me that—you're smiling."

"Shut up," I muttered, my face reddening a bit more. I jabbed my elbow harshly into John's stomach, but it definitely hurt me more than it hurt him. I gripped at my elbow, a string of curses leaving my lips as I tried not to whimper in pain.

Not the least bit worried, John snickered. "And to think that you'd have learned by now."

"You guys are like _rocks_," I hissed under my breath, trying to ease the throbbing sensation that pounded fiercely around the area of my elbow.

"You tried hitting someone else, too?" One of John's eyebrows moved upwards in anticipation.

"Jay," I replied in a tone that said it was obvious.

"I knew it," John sighed, shaking his head. "Have I ever mentioned that Jay spoils you too much?"

Giving the shaggy-haired male a dirty look, I said, "It came up more than a million times."

"Did it?" John pretended to think about it. "I never noticed. After all, he never stops." As he said this, he gave me a very pointed look that had me scoffing at him as I turned my head away.

"It's not like I tell him to treat me the way he does," I grunted in annoyance. This topic had been brought up so many times before, whether it be from John or my parents. Though it was usually John who kept bringing the subject up—my parents often dropped it or forgot about it after the first five minutes. And each time that John spoke about the matter in front of me, he just made me want to punch him right in the eye.

"But you let him," John countered.

I let out a humourless chuckle. "Trust me, I don't want him to. _You_ try getting him to stop. He just won't—I don't know why, but that's just the way it is."

"Oh, don't worry," John said easily, "I will."

"Good."

"_Good_."

Silence embraced us for another moment, and my eyes darted up to meet his piercing gaze that rested on my head. He was looking down at me as if he was waiting for something, and I could only raise my eyebrows in response.

"What?" I asked after a minute, getting a bit irritated at his staring.

"It's nothing," he lied.

Scoffing, I replied skeptically, "Right." I didn't pry, trying to get him to tell me what he was thinking about or why he was staring at me, simply because I felt like I already had an idea.

Because he understood why Jay was the way he was—because he, like Jay, also saw me in the same way.  
><em><br>"Princess."_

* * *

><p>"Good morning, everyone!" Rangiku exclaimed loudly in a beautiful sing-song voice. She sounded more than just a tad bit enthusiastic and she, like always, seemed to have a certain bounce in her graceful steps. Her pale cerulean eyes were glinting like facets of a diamond. Toushirou followed after her by a step, his eyes closed like he was trying to tune the world out. Compared to the taller female, he seemed a lot colder and less welcoming.<p>

"Ah, Yuzuru, Jay!" Rangiku excitedly plopped down on her chair in front of me and whirled around to face us. "How are you two today?"

"Fine, thanks," Jay grinned at her charmingly. "And you?"

"I'm great!" Rangiku smiled widely, showing off her rows of pure-white teeth. Immediately, I wanted to question if she had gotten braces before in order to get teeth that looked so nice. After all, if she had been naturally born with teeth like that, it would be completely unfair.

"So what happened yesterday was nothing serious?" Jay inquired, curiosity and concern weaving together into his voice to create a harmony. He was leaning against the back of his chair, his back slouched with one arm resting along his stomach while the other was cupping the back of his neck.

Rangiku responded with another blinding smile, waving her hand in a flippant gesture. "Oh, that? It was no big deal. Thanks for asking, though!"

My childhood friend and the curvaceous woman in front of me continued their chat together, causing me to tune them out. Instead, my attention was zeroed in on the white-haired male that had taken his seat casually, his eyes still hidden underneath his eyelids. His long, thick eyelashes were just as white as his hair, brushing along the tops of his cheekbones.

He definitely was a sight to behold.

An urge to reach into my schoolbag and take out my sketchbook suddenly overcame me—after all, how often could I draw someone that looked so beautiful? It sounded so disturbing to be drawing someone secretly without their consent, but I blamed him for looking so good. I had just opened up my book bag when his eyes slowly opened, forcing me to change what I was about to take out.

It was too early for me to be called a creep by someone like him!

Sliding my textbooks and notebooks out of my bag instead of the large, blank-papered book that I drew my sketches in, I closed the flap of my bag and glanced at him.

Play it casual, play it casual. I _wasn't _just about to use him as a model in one of my drawings. _Nope_. "So, I see you didn't get robbed."

Right. Totally casual.

"I see that you got home safely," he returned. There wasn't even a trace of sarcasm or bitterness in his voice—it was just a neutral tone. He said it as if it was fact—which it was—but nonetheless!

"Did you manage to finish that secret business?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow at him. I had to admit that I was definitely curious as to what he had been doing. It wasn't as if I'd never seen anyone up that early walking around the streets before, but it was incredibly rare. It was even more unusual if the person was genuinely taking a walk. More often than not, people that were around my age that woke up that early were usually ones that were up to no good, like vandalism or some other stupid acts.

"Who knows?" Toushirou answered vaguely, propping an elbow up onto his desk and resting his chin in the palm of his smooth hand.

"How mysterious," I commented, my tone of voice a bit flat. I stared at him for a moment, noticing his weary expression and the way his body moved as if it was made out of lead. Although no bags were under his eyes, he still emitted an aura that said all he needed was a good rest.

"Eh?" Rangiku joined our conversation with a surprised tone. "You met Hitsugaya-san this morning, Yuzuru?"

My eyes slid to meet her light sapphires. "Yeah."

"What were you doing up so early, Yuzuru?" Rangiku sounded like she disapproved. With a faintly chiding tone, she continued, "You should get more rest! Although Hitsugaya-san hardly gets all the sleep he needs, he tries really hard to get his rest. After all, they said that those who sleep well, grow wel—"

"Matsumoto," Toushirou interrupted.

Jay let out a laugh, his dark lavender eyes sparkling as he looked at the shorter male. "Drinking milk is also supposed to help you grow taller, Toushirou."

"It's 'Hitsugaya-san'," Toushirou corrected for what felt like the millionth time.

"Maybe try playing basketball?" I suggested, thinking back to middle school. Those who had been on the basketball team had all gotten quite a bit taller, as if playing the sport had helped them grow. It could be a coincidence, but who really knew?

"Take your own advice, Princess," Jay joked. He rested the forearms of his arms on the top of my head like I was a desk, resting some of his weight on me.

I swatted at his arms. "Stop it, Jay."

He grinned down at me. "Make me."

He knew that the possibility of me winning against him in a fight was slim. Of course, I wasn't completely horrible at fighting, considering the fact that I _was _the only daughter of a mafia boss, but I also knew for a fact that Jay was the national champion when it came to any sort of hand-to-hand combat. He had won more medals than I could count from tournaments that included kung fu, judo, taekwondo, and the like.

It was one of the reasons why my parents were so reassured whenever I was with him.

So instead of challenging Jay, I merely shot him a dirty look that told him to back off.

Rangiku giggled. "You two are so cute together!"

"_Cute_?" I repeated incredulously, the disbelief flooding into my voice just like a tsunami. I gestured between Jay and I, demanding, "What about _this _is 'cute'?"

"It is!" she objected, clasping her hands together in front of her ample chest. "It's nice to have such a close relationship with someone! I can never do something like that with Hitsugaya-san." She pouted, "He always turns so cold."

"I'm not surprised," I said. He didn't seem like the type to get close to people—although he didn't necessarily scream out for people to leave him alone, he always seemed to keep a wall between him and others.

Jay let out a contemplative noise. "That's like Princess."

"Eh? Is that so?" Rangiku asked, just a splash of astonishment in her voice. "Mm... I don't see it, Jay."

Chuckling a bit, Jay rephrased, "Maybe she isn't _cold _towards people, but... I see similarity in the two of them—besides their height, I mean."

"Hey!" Toushirou and I chimed together, agitation lining our voices. Immediately, our eyes caught one another's, the same thought floating through our mind. Or, well, if he was thinking, "What the hell was that?" then our minds would be on the same page. If not, then... _Well_.

Rangiku and Jay laughed, their voices blending together into a mesmerizing tune that had me hoping I'd hear it more often. They got along well from what I saw, and I was glad for that.

"Sorry, sorry," apologized Jay. He didn't even sound the least bit sincere, though, and instead his lips were pulled up at the corners to create a dazzling smile.

"But it's true," Rangiku pointed out, eyeing both Toushirou and I. "You two are both really tiny! To be honest, I never thought that anyone as small as you could be in high school, Yuzuru. You look like—"

"An elementary school student?" I finished for her, sighing. How many times had I heard something like that before? "I've heard."

She gave me a sheepish look. "Sorry."

I shook my head, brushing it off of my shoulders. It didn't really affect me. "It's fine."

"Ah!" Her face brightened slightly and she snapped her fingers together, sounding as if a light bulb had just ignited inside her mind. "I forgot to ask, but how old are you guys?"

"Sixteen," Jay and I chorused together. He said it with enthusiasm and a laugh, while I said it in an uninterested tone. When I thought about it, Jay was going to turn seventeen in just a few more months.

"Uwah!" Rangiku's eyes twinkled. "You guys are so young!"

I almost choked a bit because of what she said. We were _young_? Okay, we weren't exactly considered old, but we weren't ten. The only time I heard people calling teenagers the age of sixteen "_young_" was when middle-aged parents were around, and there was no way that Rangiku was a woman in her late thirties or forties.

However, anyone could tell that she also didn't quite look sixteen.

Which only fueled my confusion even more.

"_Matsumoto,"_ Toushirou's voice was irritated. He slid his piercing turquoise eyes over to the strawberry-blond, and after holding her cheerful, sheepish gaze for a moment, his agitation seemed to melt a bit. Sighing, he muttered, "What are you talking about?"

Rangiku let out another laugh, but it seemed a bit strange. Turning her attention back to Jay and I, she explained, "Sorry, it's just that when I think about it, sixteen is a really young age. I think about the people who live up to a hundred years old, and being sixteen... Well, doesn't it make you feel like a kid?"

"Yeah, it does," Jay agreed quickly in amusement. "Being sixteen really isn't that old. We haven't seen the real world yet—we don't know what it's like out there. At this age, we're generally still sheltered from reality."

"Exactly!" The busty blond nodded her head enthusiastically. She seemed pleased with Jay's answer, but something about it bothered me.

I glanced at Jay for a moment, my eyebrows furrowed together slightly, before I switched my gaze back to rest on Rangiku. Trying to relieve the uneasy feeling in my gut, I questioned, "And you, Rangiku? How old are—"

"Take your seat, class!" The door opened up, Omoto-sensei's voice resounding loudly in the chatter-filled room. Immediately, students began to go back to their respective seats and wrap up their conversations, preparing for the first lesson of the day. "Take out the questions that were for homework so I can come around and check, and turn your textbooks to page two hundred thirty-one!"

Rangiku had turned her head over her shoulder to look at who had entered the room, and when she turned back, her features were rearranged to show me a smile. "Let's talk some more during break, okay?"

Before I could say something, she had already turned around in her seat and begun rummaging for what Omoto-sensei had asked for. I could only stare at the straight back covered with cascading waves of silky hair, the question that I had been about to ask her dying on the tip of my tongue.

The slightly anxious feeling that was in my stomach only seemed to grow, welling up to create a small pool. I couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if Omoto-sensei hadn't interrupted—what would she have said? How would she have answered?

I didn't understand it, this perturbed feeling.

And upon feeling a gaze piercing into the side of my face, my eyes glided over to the right where Toushirou sat. He was staring at me from the corner of his eyes, his lips tugged down into a frown that adorned his handsome face. His teal orbs were slightly narrowed, a sharp glint in them that only made me feel even more restless.

He was like her—like Rangiku.

They had both seemed relieved when I got interrupted, like they had wanted to avoid a question that was relatively personal.

I could feel Jay's stare burning into me as I folded my arms onto my desk and buried my head in them, my hands clenched into fists. I pressed my lips together tightly, and even though I saw nothing in the darkness created in the hollow space of my arms, I kept my eyes opened.

Something... just wasn't right.

* * *

><p><strong>AN : **

Yup, well, that concludes the third chapter of F E A T H E R S! I hope that you guys liked it!

I apologize for any grammar mistakes, spelling errors, and all of that sort of stuff. I also apologize for any OOCness that might have occurred ( I sure as hell hope it didn't, though. OTL. )

Endless love and thanks to;

**MaxInu23, Deathkiki, Youknowwhothisis, and Tsukuda Sumiko**

Thank you guys so much for reviewing for me! You guys made my day, and I'm so happy to hear from you guys!

Also, thanks to everyone who has favourited and alerted!

I don't really know what to say, you guys. HAHA. Except that I want you guys to review, review, review! I get quite a bit of alerts and favourites, but I'm not getting even half the number of reviews. I'd love to hear from you, whatever it may be!

I'm the kind of person who bases the order in which I write my stories and how fast I write them on not only when my inspiration hits, but also on the amount of reviews and alerts that I get. So, yeah. I tend to write faster the more reviews I get. OTL. So please, you guys!

If you want to keep the ball rolling for this story, you gotta review for me! (:

I hope you guys liked this chapter, and let me know your thoughts!

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	4. Revisiting Again

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Bleach or any of the characters. Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite.**

**A/N :**

HEY GUYS! It's been a while since I last updated, and I wanted to apologize! I can't believe it's been over two months since the last time I updated for this story, but in all honesty, I had a writer's block that I just couldn't get over. I knew what I wanted to write, but I just _didn't _know how to write it. Plus I've been super busy with school stuff lately, but everything's calming down and I managed to overcome my writer's block temporarily!

So TA-DA! I got this chapter up. HAHA. Once again, I'd like to apologize for my tardiness! x.x

Something awesome happens in this chapter ( sort of ) so I hope that makes up for the late update!

* * *

><p><span>F E A T H E R S<span>

**CHAPTER FOUR;**

_"Revisiting Again"_

* * *

><p>Failing at doing some epic pencil-twirling tricks for what felt like the billionth time, I finally gave up on it. Not bothering to pick up my pencil from where it rolled off my desk and clattered onto the floor, I scowled as I leaned back against my chair so that it rested on the hind legs.<p>

Today just did _not _feel like a good day.

Turning my head to look out the window, my eyes fell on my classmates running around the large oval track. With the window open, I could hear the loud shrills of the P.E. teacher's whistle being blown, followed by some names being hollered out. Jay was easily one of the people most easy to decipher from the rest, as he was usually the one who led the warm-ups. This time, however, he didn't seem to be alone.

Toushirou, with his blindingly bright white hair, jogged next to Jay with what looked like immense ease. The small male was sandwiched in between Jay and Rangiku, who also kept pace at the front easily. Her long wavy tresses were pulled up into a high ponytail that bounced with every step she took. I was briefly confused on why she was with them, and then I realized that after warming up, the girls and guys would be splitting up to do separate activities.

It was a nice day, especially since they could be running around outside for their warm-ups instead of doing laps around the gym. Despite it being autumn, the sun still peaked out through the grey-tainted clouds, and it was somewhat warm. At the very least, it wasn't raining or chilly.

But still, for whatever reason, I just didn't think today was a good day. At all.

Glancing around the empty classroom, I wondered briefly what I was still doing in here. I almost always skipped P.E. class. It wasn't because I was bad at hand-eye coordination or had horrible reflexes. I had surprisingly good stamina and I was adept at things like kicking, throwing, and all. But just _something _told me that I shouldn't be in that class. There would always be a nagging feeling in my heart, and something would tug at the back of my mind. My mind always whispered for me to not attend gym class.

So I never did.

As I let the chair fall back onto all four legs loudly, I breathed out a sigh. Standing up from my seat, I picked up the pencil that was on the floor and reached into my schoolbag, taking out my sketchbook before making my way out the classroom. I made sure that the door was locked before I continued down the vacant halls, the muffled sounds of lecturing teachers reaching my ears as I passed by classrooms. Some bored or lazy students that weren't taking notes would watch me as I walked by, their eyes widening as if I was some sort of ghost that they had seen.

I was contemplating where I should sit outside to draw as I descended down the vast staircase. Did I want to be near the rest of the class, or would it be better if I was somewhere far away? Nobody really knew that I did art as a hobby except for Jay. I doubted that people would believe me even if I had told them.

"The school festival is coming up," I mumbled to myself as I reached the last step. I remembered I had gone to last year's festival, back when I hadn't entered Karakura High Academy yet. It hadn't been around this time, but Jay had said that the brochure mentioned something about how the school festival took place in the next season the following year, which meant that this year's festival would be in autumn. There had been announcements of it as well, but we were still in the preliminary stages of preparation.

I had just rounded the corner out of the stairway when I suddenly bumped into someone. "What—" I stopped myself, blinking my eyes at the unbuttoned dress shirt and blazer that greeted me. When I looked up, I was welcomed with a face that I had seen many times in the time I had been at KHA.

Amused brown orbs stared down at me, one blond eyebrow raised. His full, pale pink lips tilted upwards to one side in a smirk, his long strands of fair gold thread were tied, like usual, at the nape of his neck. Vale Vogan—or Vogan Vale, if we were sticking with Japanese culture despite the fact he was born and raised in England—looked just as unbelievably attractive as he always did.

Instinctively, I took step back from him. My eyes immediately darted around him, trying to search for the mob of fangirls that were sure to be trailing behind him. Yet, for some strange reason, he seemed to be completely alone this time.

"Sorry," he chuckled in his faintly raspy voice. "I wasn't looking at where I was going."

"I figured." It slipped out of my mouth before I even registered it. My hand instantly came up to slap against my mouth—I had promised John yesterday after the Toushirou incident that I would be more polite to people—and I mumbled out pathetically, "I mean, uh, it's okay. I wasn't really paying attention either."

Vale's eyes were fixated on me like I was one of the most interesting things he'd ever seen in his life. As a heartbreaker, it was a fact that he was known all throughout the school by all students. He was infamous. I had no doubt that he would create his own mark in the history of Karakura High Academy, but I couldn't quite say that it would be a great one. After all, I had unintentionally witnessed many occurrences where he had sent girls crying back to their friends. But despite his romantically frivolous personality, girls still seemed to be entranced by him.

...Then again, with his mesmerizingly good looks, I could see where they were coming from. Which was why it was so unbearably unnerving as he stared at me with his glittering chocolate eyes.

I was just about to excuse myself and then continue on my way out of the building—and definitely away from him—when he stopped me by speaking aloud my name. It was as if he had noticed my discomfort and my desire to leave, but had decided he'd torment me a bit by keeping me in his presence.

Natural dislike immediately painted itself onto my face. I struggled to keep my tone relatively civil, but it came out strained in an obvious way. "What is it?"

"It's the middle of classes," he pointed out. Leaning against the wall that he had been walking alongside, he folded his arms across his chest casually as he looked at me. "I never knew that you skipped."

"It's too bad that I can't say the same for you," I remarked. Even if someone gave me five pairs of hands, I still wouldn't be able to count all the times I had seen Vale leaving school grounds with his arm slung around some girl's shoulder. He did it so brazenly as well, not caring about whether or not the teachers saw him.

"Oh? So you've been taking notice of me?" The smirk on his face was infuriatingly arrogant.

Trying to maintain a cool and nonchalant facade, I denied flatly, "No."

He chuckled, entertainment ringing in his rough voice. "It's okay to admit it. I mean, it's not like I'm especially discreet about my life. Most people notice me whether they want to or not."

"You're flattering yourself." I slid my mobile phone out of KHA's uniform blazer, checking the time. I barely had half an hour left before class would be over. _Why _exactly was I here in the middle of the corridor speaking with one of the notorious players of the school? It was beyond me. And this was exactly why I started to brush by him to continue on my way to one of the doors that led outside. "Sorry, I've got something I need to do."

I had barely walked three meters away when his chuckle echoed faintly through the empty hallways, causing my eyebrows to scrunch together as my face rearranged its features into a scowl. I wasn't sure how I managed to do it, but I somehow controlled my urge to turn around and ask him what was so funny.

Luckily, as I turned the corner and continued down the hall towards the exit, I didn't hear his footsteps following after me. His piercing gaze, however, had burned itself into my back.

Not quite sure how about how I felt about my first encounter with the male, I couldn't help but look back over my shoulder even though I knew he wouldn't be there.

Stopping in my tracks, my eyes narrowed at the vacant hall that stretched out in front of me. I could imagine him leaning against one of the walls casually, his back slouched and his hands in his pockets. Yet, the thing that seemed to engrave itself into my mind was the colourless bitterness that had been hidden underneath the layers of amusement in his eyes.

Vogan Vale, huh...?

* * *

><p>I sat underneath one of the large, bare cherry blossom trees with my sketchbook propped up onto the stable surface that my thighs created after being pulled halfway up my chest. Even though I was in blatant sight of my classmates and teacher, none of them called me out on it. Or maybe they honestly just hadn't noticed, as I knew many of the people in my class were quite competitive when it came to sports. I watched as, after being separated into teams that wore different coloured jersey-like bibs, they began to disperse around the track, stopping at intervals of two hundred meters.<p>

Despite not having participated in any sports class or event for as long as I could remember—I had always created some sort of excuse to avoid P.E. classes in my previous years—I was still familiar with the set-up that had taken place. They were getting ready to do the baton relay.

Jay, with a bib that was an unflattering shade of dark yellow that he just could _not _pull off, had a shiny silver baton in one of his hands. Trotting over to where the starting point was as he got ready to start the race, he turned his head over to where I was sitting. Even from where I sat, I could see him roll his eyes at me, though the smile that was on his face ruined the effect that it was supposed to have. Not even bothering with being discreet, Jay threw a long arm right up into the air and waved it at me, grinning. I returned his gesture of acknowledgement with a brief lift of the hand, suppressing a sigh as people began to shoot me strange looks.

"Yuzuru!" A bright, cheerful voice exclaimed.

My eyes instantly shifted away from Jay to land on the curvaceous strawberry blond woman that began to make her way towards me. "Rangiku."

She stopped when she was in front of me, bending forward with her arms folded together against her back. Blinking her wide, pale sapphire eyes at me, she asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

"I'm..." I glanced down at my opened sketchbook, which had been flipped to a new page that hadn't been touched yet, and continued, "I was watching you guys."

"Do you like to draw?" Rangiku plopped herself down beside me, her eyes sparkling as she leaned back against the thick cherry blossom tree trunk. "You always seem to be doing something during class, but it never looks like you're taking down notes! I've always been wondering what it is that you do instead."

I raised an eyebrow at her, the suspicious feeling crawling back up my spine. "How do you know I'm doing something in class?" After all, it wasn't as if she sat behind me or near the back. She sat directly in front of me, and I couldn't recall her turning around in her seat in the middle of class to watch me. It would be a completely different story if she sat next to me like Jay did, or somewhere that just _wasn't _in front of me.

"I watch you," she answered easily, her lips pulling up over straight rows of white teeth as she gave me a playful wink. Laughing, she said, "Hitsugaya-san told me one night during dinner about it. He said that you never pay attention in class. I remember that he didn't even finish eating dinner that night! It was Orihime's special red bean paste and peanut butter teriyaki chicken with dark chocolate-spotted rice, too!"

Upon hearing this, my eyebrows seemed to touch my hairline. I wasn't sure which questions I wanted to ask first—the ones that revolved around him talking about me, who Orihime was and just how utterly odd and self-destructing her taste in food was, or the ones about the fact that they had eaten dinner together. It had been quite a topic lately at school among students about whether or not the two of them were dating, and while I didn't listen, pay much attention to, or believe in rumours, I was still curious. I believed that they looked sort of cute together, though I knew many people believed it was unromantic and strange that the male in the relationship was so much shorter than the girl. Nonetheless, I felt as if it was a nice change.

I settled for the first option. Looking at the busty beauty skeptically, I inquired, "Why was Toushirou talking about me?" It made no sense to me why the white-haired male would bring me up in a conversation. I couldn't imagine the serious teal-eyed student just randomly speaking of me at the dinner table in order to start conversation, which only made me believe that there _had _to be some sort of reason for it.

Certainly, it had something to do with the strange feelings I got whenever I was around Rangiku and Toushirou—the odd feeling that something just wasn't _right_. It wasn't as if there was some enormously noticeable difference, but there was just something a bit off about them. There was always a miniscule smudge of peculiarity that was practically wrapped around the two of them.

"Oh, well, that's because..." Her voice drifted off, and she was deliberately staring straight ahead at the track to avoid the look I gave her. Something fluttered across her expression, but before I could make it out, it disappeared completely. Replacing the emotion I couldn't decipher was one with wide eyes and a wide, excited smile. Pointing towards the track, she exclaimed, "Hitsugaya-san is up!"

"Rangiku—"

"You have to watch this, Yuzuru! Hitsugaya-san might be small, but he's really amazing! I can't wait to see everyone's surprised expression." Rangiku let out a snicker, her glittering eyes still trained forward.

Lips thinning, my expression contorted itself into something that wasn't very pleasing to the eyes at all. It was obvious that Rangiku was merely trying to change the subject, which in turn meant that it was something secretive enough to not want others to know about. I had pondered about pressing her on the subject, but I figured that it wouldn't do me much good. I didn't exactly have leverage over Rangiku in any way, shape, or form.

Running a hand through my hair, I let out a resigned sigh and flipped my sketchbook shut, knowing that there was no way I'd get anything done anymore. Turning my attention to my fellow classmates that were situated around the track, I warned Rangiku in a mutter, "I'm not going to forget about this conversation."

Her eyes darted over to me, but she remained silent.

Despite the fact that my sketchbook was going to make things less comfortable, I leaned forward to rest my forearms on my knees, leaving room between my back and the tree trunk. My eyes swept over the numerous heads that were on the large oval track, but with Toushirou's unusual white hair, he stuck out like a rose in a field of daisies.

Toushirou was going to be one of the last runners. Hands in the pockets of his slightly baggy grey sweatpants, he had a blue sports bib over his white t-shirt. A nonchalant and unaffected aura surrounded him, almost as if he had nothing to do with this at all. The neutral expression on his face didn't change in the slightest, even when the whistle from the teacher shrilled.

Just one look at the guy and it was pretty clear he knew what he was doing. From the very moment I laid my eyes on the irritatingly beautiful male, I could tell he was someone who was athletic. Something _about _him just suggested that he was. Perhaps it was the incredibly toned and defined muscles of his body, which were quite easily noticeable, or maybe it was the fact that he had so much grace whenever he did something. Either way, I knew that I wouldn't be all that surprised if Toushirou turned out to be some sort of crazily athletic guy.

Sure enough, I wasn't wrong. When the runner for the blue team stuck out his arm to pass the baton, Toushirou took it easily into his own hand and took off with a bored expression. He ran so fast that he was practically a blur that streaked around the oval. He passed the other runners easily, closing the distance in mere seconds. By the time he reached the finish line, he had already created a vast difference between himself and the others. Everyone seemed to be surprised and awed. I hated how he didn't even look like he broke a sweat. There didn't even seem to be a single white hair out of place on his head.

"Did you see that?" Rangiku asked me, sounding like a mother that had just watched her child accomplish something astounding.

"Yeah," I said flatly. I had already expected his astonishing athletic abilities, so it didn't quite awe me as much as it should've. Besides, it seemed hard to concentrate on how the oh-so-perfect Toushirou was when my mind was still clogged with questions that were itching to be answered.

"Well, you don't sound very amazed." Rangiku's lips pouted.

Was I supposed to bring up what had we been talking about earlier? She was practically handing me a chance to press her on a subject that I knew she didn't want to talk about. Surely, she also knew?

But for some reason, I felt like it was _because_ I knew that she knew this that I couldn't bring myself to ask her. How was I supposed to ask someone like her—someone who seemed so bubbly and carefree—about something when I _knew _she didn't want to speak of it? How could I possibly press her into telling me things she obviously felt uncomfortable talking about?

So I didn't. "More importantly, Rangiku, what are you doing here? Aren't the girls supposed to be running laps around the school until the guys are done with the track?"

"Oh, that?" she asked brightly. Waving a hand in dismissal, she explained, "I already finished the three laps, and I was wondering what the guys are doing, so I came here. Then I saw you!"

I should've known that Rangiku was athletic as well. "Won't the teacher be looking for you?"

"It's fine, it's fine," she waved it off easily. "They'll be coming to the track after they're done their laps, anyways."

"It'll take a while," I remarked. KHA was an enormous school that many people wanted to get into. There were numerous students at KHA that weren't residents in Karakura Town, but rather other surrounding areas. It was an elite and prestigious school, which was what made Rangiku and Toushirou's transfer even more peculiar than it would be if it was at any other place but here.

"Will it?" Rangiku asked curiously. She made a contemplative noise, but before she could say anything else, she lifted her arm up into the air and waved it enthusiastically. Blinking at her actions, I turned to see who she was waving at, though I already had an idea.

Needless to say, Toushirou did _not _look pleased. He passed the baton to the next starter in the new race and, ignoring the classmates that had begun to approach him, stalked his way over to where we sat.

"Hi, Hitsuagaya-san!" Rangiku greeted in a sing-song voice. She beamed up at him and teased, "It's too bad that the girls are still running laps around the school, eh? If they had been watching, you'd have gotten so much more popular!"

"Matsumoto," Toushirou muttered in his deep, masculine voice. He folded his arms across his chest, his teal eyes sharp as they settled on her. "Why are you here? You as well, Tsubaki." His eyes slid over to meet mine. "I thought that people who dared to skip wouldn't be so blatant about it."

"I came to see you!" Rangiku protested, giving him a dejected look. "I finished doing what the teacher asked, so I'm here now. Is it really that bad that I wanted to see what you were up to?"

"Yes," he answered bluntly.

"That's mean, Hitsugaya-san," Rangiku complained.

Toushirou sighed, "Go back to your class, Matsumoto."

"But Hitsugaya-san—"

"Matsumoto."

She stared up at his stern expression for a few heartbeats before she relented. Pouting in a way that came off as unintentionally sexy, she got up from where she sat and brushed off any dirt and leaves that got onto her clothes. "Fine. But since I'm going to be gone, you'll have to keep Yuzuru company."

I almost had a heart attack when my name was mentioned. _What_? Why was she bringing me into this conversation and setting out conditions for him using _my _name? I didn't want all the girls that fawned over Toushirou to see me with him and think that I was going to steal their man!

This seemed to irritate the white-haired male. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, Yuzuru's going to get lonely if she's all by herself, right? So keep her company for me. Please, Hitsugaya-san?" Rangiku clasped her hands together in front of her large, voluptuous chest and continued her pouting. Her light electric eyes were wide and rimmed with long eyelashes as she looked at him, but he returned her look unfazed.

"No."

"But Hitsugaya-san—"

"It's fine," I cut in. It wasn't as if I wanted to bask in his presence, anyway. I could just imagine all the awkward silences that would fall between us. After all, neither of us seemed like social butterflies. "I don't mind being alone."

Rangiku's eyebrows furrowed together as she looked at me with a light frown tugging at the corner of her lips. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," I confirmed. I jabbed a thumb over my shoulder at where I knew the girls were meeting up after finishing their laps and stated, "You should really get going."

"Yeah... I guess I should," Rangiku murmured. She turned to leave, but not before sharing a long, silent look with Toushirou. I couldn't understand what their gazes meant, but it looked so solemn, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I watched her straight back as she trotted away, her long ponytail swishing behind her.

Absentmindedly, I inquired, "How'd you even get a girl like her?"

"... _What_?" came Toushirou's answer.

I blinked, realizing that I had voiced aloud my thoughts, and turned back to face the exotic-eyed classmate. "You can forget I asked that."

"If I could, I would," he responded dryly.

Well, it seemed too late to take what I said back. Shrugging, I answered his question with another one of my own. "Are you guys dating? There have been a lot of rumours flying around about you two being an item."

Toushirou didn't even look mildly surprised. "Is that so?"

"You really didn't notice?" I asked him skeptically, not believing it. He might not care much about things like gossip and rumours, but he must've caught wind of it by now. He wasn't deaf nor was he ignorant. Or, at the very least, he didn't look like he was.

His half-lidded eyes met mine languidly. "No. Things like gossip and rumours are stupid and bothersome. I have better things to do than keep up with them."

"I already predicted you'd say that," I commented offhandedly, my attention preoccupied with his stunning facial features. It was absolutely unfair how his eyelashes were so long and thick, and how wide his eyes were despite the lids that always seemed to cover them halfway. The colour of his eyes, as well, was something to be envious of. They were beautiful.

Immediately, my mind conjured up all the different ways to get his radiant beauty down onto some sort of material, whether it be paper, cloth, or even wood. My hands itched to flip open my sketchbook, grab my pencil, and begin sketching him.

"You don't seem like the type to get caught up with that nonsense," Toushirou returned coolly. He had uncrossed his arms, stuffing one of his hands into the pocket of his sweats. His other arm hung loosely at his side, his back straight and his shoulders squared. He carried himself with confidence, regardless of the aloof blanket that wrapped around him.

"I'm not," I deadpanned, "but that doesn't mean I'm completely unaware of them like a certain _someone_." As I emphasized this, I gave him a very pointed look.

"I'm not unaware of my surroundings," he retorted calmly.

Was it just me or was this guy trying to play mind games on me? My expression turned into one that had blended incredulity and disbelief in it. "You're not unaware of what goes on, but you didn't notice the rumours? What is that—how does that even—" I stopped myself from continuing, not wanting to sound more like an idiot than I already did.

"You won't get it, Tsubaki," Toushirou informed me. He didn't laugh or even show any hint of entertainment. He was so stoic, so unmoved.

"Try me," I challenged. Raising my eyebrows at him, I added, "But that's only if you're willing to expose whatever secret you have."

"Secret?" he repeated, his body stiffening just a slight fraction. It didn't even take a second for me to blink my eyes, but when I opened them again, his gaze was ten million times more intense than it had been before. He looked more awake, more alert, but still ridiculously serene. If I hadn't been so suspicious of him in the first place, I probably wouldn't have been able to pick up on all his weird body language.

"Yeah." I picked up a leaf that had been on the ground, twirling the delicate brown leaf by the strong, thick stem. "Because I'm bound to ask you things about your answer, and believe me—I'd pick your answers mercilessly apart."

It was like an instinctive thing. Taking into consideration the fact that I had already been wary of Toushirou and Rangiku themselves from the very start, it was only natural to take notice of the way they phrased their words, how they said it, and the different meanings that they could hold. Observing how they interacted with others and their actions in general was also something that came naturally in a subconscious defense. Even though I never quite intended to do it, it made spotting small slip-ups and mistakes easily.

His gaze burned. "That sounds more like a warning than a challenge."

"Take it how you will," I told him carelessly. I stopped spinning the leaf with my fingers. Rather than just setting it down again, my hand closed around it. The crackling sound of the dry, thin leaf being crushed was heard clearly between the two of us. When I opened my hand again, the tiny, light remains began to fall silently back to the floor. My eyes were fixated on where the small pieces had fallen on top of yellowing grass for a moment longer before letting myself return Toushirou's gaze. "But just so you know, you really can't just keep letting these little slips happen. Unless you guys are prepared to have me practically dying as I try to figure out whether or not you're spies of some secret agency, then it's best to either tell me flat-out what's up with you guys or to not let anything slip at all."

"Unfortunately, Tsubaki, I have no idea what you're talking about." He looked at me with piercing eyes that looked like they had been frozen over by an ice age. Relaxed and casual, he didn't look worried at all, but I couldn't say that I had been expecting to see such an emotion fluttering over his features. It made me wonder how he was feeling on the inside and how hard the wheels of his mind were working, because surely he couldn't be as composed as he portrayed.

Of course, that was only if he had a secret.

However, it seemed nearly impossible for Rangiku and Toushirou to _not_ have some big secret. Everything about them seemed to suggest that they were hiding something, and it was something _big_. The deep feeling in my gut told me so.

Or maybe I had just been reading too many detective and mysterious novels. Being the daughter of a mafia boss really didn't help, either. I had grown up surrounded by people who had always tried to keep secrets from me. I had always hated it back then. Now, however, I felt that perhaps it allowed me to be hyperaware of when people were hiding things behind my back.

My eyes narrowed a fraction. I had just opened my mouth and was about to make some form of an accusation when I spotted Jay jogging over to where we were. He still had the unflattering yellow bib over his white shirt, but his smile seemed to erase the hideousness of the dark gold cloth. Whatever I was going to say just halted on the very tip of my tongue, the rest of the words getting lodged in my throat.

There was no way I would talk about it in front of Jay. I didn't want to drag him into anything, especially since it was possible that I was wrong. If I just started blabbing on about how Toushirou was some suspicious person and he really actually _wasn't,_then I would have ruined the friendship that the two of them would've created if I had just kept my mouth shut.

Before Jay could reach us, I gave Toushirou a look that said to keep his mouth shut about what we had been talking about before. The look he returned to me was one of displeasure and distaste, but there was a mutual understanding between us as his eyes slid away just as Jay popped up beside the white-haired male.

"Hey, you two!" Jay greeted cheerfully, his large hand coming down to rest on Toushirou's shoulder in a friendly manner. "Why are you guys standing here all by yourselves?"

"We're chatting up a storm." Sarcasm tainted my voice.

"Right," Jay replied, clearly unfazed by my snappy answer. Rolling his eyes at me, he smiled down at Toushirou. "Sensei's looking for you. I think he's going to try and convince you to join the track team, but I'm not surprised. You're amazing, Toushirou."

Nodding, Toushirou swiveled on his heels. "Thanks, Michimoto." Just before he left, his eyes slid to their corners to meet mine. I found myself staring back defiantly at him, like I was telling him that it wasn't over yet. He didn't let anything show on his face as he began to make his way towards the oval track once more in search for the P.E. teacher.

Lasers should've been shooting out of my eyes due to the intensity that I stared at his retreating back with. I felt some sort of gut-wrenching feeling inside of me that told me I shouldn't try to delve deeper into his business, but the curious and adventurous side of me kept urging me to unfurl the truth behind the enigmatic male.

Jay collapsed down next to me, his eyes following the direction of mine. "So, did you two have a nice chat?"

"Did it look like we did?" I retorted. I knew that if I were someone else watching the scene from afar, I'd think that we looked more like dogs about to pounce at each other rather than civil classmates having a normal conversation.

"Touché," Jay laughed. Leaning back onto his palms, he questioned, "Do you think you guys will become friends?"

"Maybe," I answered vaguely. "Maybe not." My eyebrows furrowed together at the thought of becoming friends with someone other than Jay. It just didn't seem _right. _For as long as I could remember, the only friend that I had was Jay. We did _everything _together.

I never really felt like I needed anyone else.

He chuckled. "For such people to have come to this town... Do you believe in fate?"

There wasn't even a second's worth of hesitation in my answer. "No."

* * *

><p>"Welcome home, Young Mistress!" came a chorus of numerous voices as I stepped through the large gates of my house. Men and even a few women clad in classical black suits had lined the pavement path that led up to the front of the house, incredibly opaque sunglasses covering their eyes. They had all bowed formally, like they always did despite the abundance of times I had told them not to.<p>

"I'm home," I said. By now, the sun had already been down for a while, bathing the sky in darker hues.

"Do you have _any _idea what time it is right now?" John demanded as he stood in front of me, arms crossed over his large chest. He was tapping one of his feet rapidly, his lips pulled into a tight grimace. "Isumu-san has been going crazy the moment he and Alice-san came back. He had wailing about how his daughter left him for another man and he just won't shut up!"

At the mention of my parents, my eyebrows shot upwards. From what they had told me before they felt for their two-week vacation in Hawaii, they shouldn't be back before the day after tomorrow. "Why are they back early?"

John didn't even blink as he whirled around so that his back faced me. Heading back up towards the main door, he explained, "Alice-san wasn't feeling well, so Isumu-san flipped out and they came back."

My face contorted into a scowl instantly. I had been around John long enough to notice when he was lying, no matter how smooth he was at it. And even if I couldn't tell by his behaviour, the excuse itself was strange. Knowing my mother, it was highly doubtful that she'd get sick, let alone allow my father to bring her back to Karakura Town for that sort of matter.

"Right." The sarcasm was laced heavily into my tone as I followed after the muscular brunette, clearly unconvinced. It was obvious he heard me, but he made no response. He just continued to lead me swiftly through the large house, taking twists and turns towards the main kitchen.

With every step that I took, I felt something flutter in my stomach. It was probably the fact that I would be seeing my parents again after a few weeks. Although not having them around had its perks, there had also been several times when I had missed them. The house itself was almost always rowdy, but when my parents were home, there was just a different sort of atmosphere. It all seemed lighter, brighter, happier. Just somehow.

Not even bothering to hold the door for me, John entered the kitchen. I rolled my eyes at his back, reaching over to keep the door open for me to walk through. I was greeted with the sight of the regular kitchen, except that my mother was sitting down at the granite island and my father was standing over the stove with a pink apron on. Both pairs of eyes landed on us the moment John and I entered the room, and my own obsidian orbs darted between the two figures.

It was my dad who recovered first. With a ladle still in his hand, he rushed over to me. Crushing me to his large, hard body, he squeezed me to the point where it seemed impossible to breathe. "Yuzuru! How are you, sweetheart? It's been a while since we've seen one another, hasn't it?"

"Isumu, dear, you're suffocating her," my mom's tinkling voice said. There was a laughing tone in her voice, and I didn't need to look at her to know that she was smiling.

"Sorry, sorry!" Isumu exclaimed, loosening his hold enough for me to breathe. He still kept his strong arms around me, though. It gave me a secure feeling, as if I was safe.

I wrapped my arms around him, letting my forehead rest against his chest. "Welcome back, Dad. You too, Mom."

"We're back," my parents chorused together. My dad's voice was loud and cheerful, while my mom's was calm and gentle. They were so different from one another, but I thought that that was what made them fit so well with each other. It wasn't an uncommon saying—the one that opposites attract. I supposed that my parents were an example of that.

Squeezing me tightly once more, Isumu then released me from his fatherly embrace. Instead, he slung a heavy arm over my shoulder and led me over to where my mom sat, ruffling my hair and fussing. "Do you want some soup, sweetheart? How about some fruit? Are you hungry? Did you grow in the time we were gone? Your hair looks a bit different today, too!"

"I'm not hungry," I told him before quirking an eyebrow. "And I didn't grow any taller, Dad. Maybe you just got shorter."

"Are you sure?" Isumu persisted. Whirling around to look at John, my father accused, "You're not feeding her properly, are you, John?"

The twenty-four-year-old bodyguard made some sort of incredulous noise. Giving my father a dirty look, he folded his arms across his chest. "Don't blame me for everything. It's not _my _fault if your daughter is ridiculously stubborn and hard to handle."

"Oi, you're talking about my precious _daughter_, John! Come here, you little—"

A soft touch on the back of my hand made me turn away from my father and John, who had continued their noisy bickering. Looking over at my mom, she smiled at me affectionately before pulling me into a tight embrace, which I returned.

"How have you been, honey?" Alice inquired as we released each other after a few moments.

"Fine," I answered, not quite sure what to say. It wasn't as if it was awkward between my parents and I, but I had never been one to talk about myself. Instead, I switched topics before she could ask me anything about school or about what I had been up to the past few weeks. "Why are you and Dad back so early?"

She tensed for a second, her vividly bright olive eyes flickering over to where the males in the room were. Alice forced herself to loosen up as she asked me curiously, "Didn't John already explain it to you?"

I tried not to let my thoughts show on my face. The translation of her words was crystal clear, and it was a message that I received perfectly fine. I knew that pushing the matter wouldn't be the brightest thing to do, but the words slipped out of my lips before I could stop them. "I don't want a lie."

Alice blinked her eyes at me. Her forest gems tightened a slight fraction, something clouding her entire expression. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, though. It was an emotion that I just couldn't decipher. It looked strange to me, and it was definitely an expression that I didn't often see on my mom's face.

I was hyperaware of the fact that it was silent in the room now, John and Isumu both having stopped their petty fight to listen in on the conversation. Their gazes burned into my back, the tension hanging thickly in the air. The situation was so suffocating, I almost laughed at it. Absolutely no humour could be found in this circumstance, but I felt like the crushing stillness of everyone could have made me laugh insanely.

Did I want to know? Did I not want to know? In all honesty, I wasn't sure anymore. I had mixed feelings about this sort of situation, considering the fact that it was both common as well as not. Although my parents told me many things and were usually honest with me even if it what they were telling me wasn't pleasant, there were also various times when they had kept secrets behind my back or had lied to me in order to keep me in the dark. They had their reasons for doing things, but I wasn't a child anymore. Back then, I had appreciated their thoughtfulness. I loved the fact that they thought about my safety, my emotional state, my mentality, but it was different now. Although I was still grateful for their thoughtfulness, I came to realize that I _hated _that sort of perspective.

"Yuzuru," my mom began hesitantly, clasping her hands together and placing them on the island in front of her. Looking at me from underneath her long eyelashes, she subtly hinted, "Maybe it's better that you don't know the truth this time."

I opened my mouth to give her a blunt reply, but as I stared up at her, I realized that her expression was pleading. Her eyes were begging me not to ask her again, to just drop this subject. The thin line that her lips were pressed into was telling me that she, too, was trying hard to keep her words in check. And it was because of this that I could feel something heavy sitting on my chest again.

Exhaling instead of asking another question about it, I shut my eyes. Whirling around in the bar stool that I had been sitting on, I slipped off of it and began heading back to the kitchen doorway. It took so much effort to say the next few words rather than what I was screaming inside my head, but I somehow managed to say it in a neutral tone of voice."Forget I said anything, then."

"Yuzuru—"

"I'll be down for dinner. Until then..." _don't bother me. _I didn't need to say the last three words, as I knew that they could understand what I meant. I left the kitchen soundlessly afterward, striding through the long and wide hallways of the enormous household. When other members of the Tsubaki group greeted me, I returned their salutations, but even I could tell that it sounded more monotone than usual.

Making my way to my own special room, I opened it the door carefully and flicked on the lights, shutting the door behind me. Sighing, I looked around the area with previously white walls that were now splattered with all different colours of paint. Randomly strokes and blotches were everywhere, although the floor was kept clean. Cabinets of a variety of paints were pushed against the wall, a few drawers full of old sketchbooks and new ones also lined the walls. In the walk-in closet, there was even more art supplies that ranged from new canvases to boards to spray paint to new packages of pastel or charcoal. An enormous amount of my old artworks were scattered everywhere, some on the floor while others rested along the wall.

Walking further into the room, I collapsed down onto the cloth-covered couch that was also in the room. Running a hand through my hair, I leaned my head back and grimaced as I shut my eyes.

It wasn't as if I was mad at anyone, but at the same time, I wasn't exactly a ball of sunshine, either. If I had to describe how I felt, it would simply be... _numb. _I didn't really _feel _anything. Even if I wanted to be angry or upset at them, I couldn't bring myself to feel those emotions. There was nothing but this odd sense of emptiness inside me that I always tried to avoid. It was a feeling that I had gotten so accustomed to.

It was a feeling that scared me.

Was it normal for a person to feel this way? Did it make me unusual to feel as if there was something missing in my life? Was it weird of me to feel as if I had nothing I wanted to live for? I used to think that it was. I used to think that I would get passed this odd stage and I would return to being just as loud and outspoken as I always was, except that I would be able to _feel _something when I was doing all that.

But I wasn't moving.

I dragged my hands down my face, letting out a noisy exhale. Opening my eyes, I asked myself in a breath, "What am I doing?"

* * *

><p>It was one of those stupid nights where I could just <em>not <em>go to sleep, no matter how much I wanted to. I had been rolling around in my bed for hours, and I hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep. It wasn't as if I didn't feel tired, because I did. I felt so incredibly sleepy, but my body just wouldn't shut itself down and allow me any rest.

Irritated, I threw the covers off roughly. I was glad that Patch and Alph had left my room after the first two hours of me tossing and turning, because they surely would've bitten me if they had gotten woken up by me for the tenth time. Padding over to my large window seat, I climbed up onto the spacious edge and sat with my back leaning against the wall, my knees pulled up halfway to my chest.

Darkness covered everything outside except for the moon and its glowing light. It illuminated the tops of some buildings, making Karakura Town seem a bit less scary than it would be if the moon wasn't out. Everything was so still, so quiet—it seemed like a serene place, even if only temporarily so.

I had been staring out the window for just a few minutes when, abruptly, I got this strange feeling that something was coming this way. They were these two strong, but warm aura-like presences that just seemed to resound inside my heart. I wasn't in particularly surprised at the sensation, as I had already felt it numerous times before. This could only mean one thing—they were out, and they were heading this way.

Sure enough, after another minute, two figures landed on the rooftop of the house across from mine. Due to the bright moonlight, I could see everything about them so clearly. They were both tall males, undoubtedly high school students. One was dressed in white attire, and he had neat blue-black hair that covered one of his eyes. Spectacles rested along the bridge of his nose, the light of the moon illuminating the paleness of his skin. The other was dressed in a black kimono-like garment that, if I looked closely, looked like a kimono. Yet I knew that it was a shihakushou. He had extremely vivid orange spiky hair, and an enormous sword slung over his back. Neither of them was smiling—rather, it looked more like they were arguing with each other over something.

They were both familiar. I saw them around at night quite often, and I even saw them around town sometimes. Ishida Uryuu and Kurosaki Ichigo, the Quincy and the—

My eyes widened slightly, my mind flashing over to a certain white-haired, teal-orbbed male.  
><em><br>Shinigami._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

And that concludes the fourth chapter of F E A T H E R S! Yuzuru figures out Toushirou's secret... OHOHOHO, what will happen now? (;

I apologize for any grammar mistakes, spelling errors, and any OOCness that may have occurred in this chapter ( though I hope that it didn't ).

Endless love and thanks to;

**RavenstoDust, DeathKiki, I'm Plotting Something Evil, LexxieLuvsU, SoupieLuv, Youknowwhothisis, AliceMarieSwan, and NightDreamer567**

You guys are amazing for reviewing for me, and I can't thank you guys enough! (:

Also, lots of thanks to those of you who alerted and favourited as well!

Just a few brief responses to a few reviewers down below~

To **RavenstoDust**;

Aww, thank you for your compliments! I'm really flattered. HAHA. I'm trying to make Yuzuru a character that people can relate to. Sort of. Kind of. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this fanfic, and for taking the time to review! I hope that, if you're still reading this, that you liked the fourth chapter as well! (:

To **DeathKiki**;

Yes I did, change the summary. HAHA. The problem about changing it back is that I don't remember the first summary. Sorry about that! In all honesty, I'll probably change the summary again at some point. xD I'm glad that you think my characters are well-built; it makes me feel more confident about them not being Mary-Sues or whatever they're called. There is most definitely a story, but F E A T H E R S is going to one of those stories that will progress rather slowly in the beginning before you jump into all the action and all. Thank you so much for reading and giving me a review, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! (:

So yuppp. Thank you guys for reading, and I hope you guys liked the chapter!

Feel free to give constructive criticism. Tell me your thoughts; did you love it? Like it? Hate it? I'd love to hear from you! Send me a PM or a review telling me about what you thought.

I'm practically dying, wondering what you guys think. HAHA.

Sooo... Yup. Once again, I'm really sorry about the late update! I'll try to get past my writer's block as quickly as I can, and I'll try to update soon as well!

Write me a review if you think I deserve it, or if you want to try and help me outta my stump! xD

Until next time~

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	5. Ignited

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Bleach. It belongs solely to Kubo Tite.**

**A/N:**

... It's been forever. Please don't throw me to the sharks. -CRIES-

I'M SORRY. ASDFGHJKL. I planned to update this story a month within my last update, like most of my other stories, but then I opened up the document so many times and just stared at it blankly. Nothing would come into mind, especially since I had been so busy the past month and a few weeks. I got so frustrated, I just couldn't write anything at all.

But then I opened up my document yesterday and it was like angels were singing to me. So I managed to get it completed and edited today, which means an update! YAY.

In all sincerity though, I'm so sorry about my slow updates! I'll try really hard to update more frequently!

Thank you so much to everyone and your support! (:

I'll stop talking and let you guys read. LOL. I feel like I owe it to you guys to not write paragraphs before the actual story. xP

P.S. I hate how I can't put the spaces in between the word "feathers" unless I want it to just disappear completely. ASDFGHJKL. RAGE.

* * *

><p><span>FEATHERS<span>

**CHAPTER FIVE;**

_"Ignited"_

* * *

><p>Just as I finished slipping the last bobby pin into place, the sleek black vehicle that I was riding in pulled to a stop. Jay opened the door and immediately climbed out, stretching his long limbs. I took his schoolbag—which was on the seat in front of me and in my way—and threw it out of the car at him.<p>

"Heads up," I warned him after it had already hit him squarely in the stomach.

"Gee, thanks," came his sarcastic response. His immensely quick reflexes had enabled him to catch the bag before it rebounded off his abdomen and onto the floor. He slung the bag over his shoulder, grinning at me.

"Yuzuru," John scolded in a sigh.

Grabbing onto the straps of my own bag, I looked over at the two men who sat in the front. "Thanks, Kanegai. Later, John." Sliding out of the car, I closed the door shut and gave a small wave before turning around and heading toward the large school building. By now, I had gotten used to all the stares and whispers from my classmates. I found it hilarious how they thought that I wouldn't notice it—I mean, the glances in my direction and the horrified looks pretty much said everything I needed to know—and it amused me to think that they actually thought I _cared_.

"So what happened?" Jay asked me casually, breaking me out of my reverie. When I looked up at him, he merely raised his dark eyebrows at me with a patient and expecting look settling along his features.

"What do you mean?" My eyes shifted away from his to look straight ahead, but they ended up flickering back over to him when he spoke.

Jay's tone was light as he pointed out, "You look like you want to say something to me, but every time you open your mouth, you get this weird look on your face and then stay silent. Besides," he pointed to his eye, "you have bags."  
><em><br>Damn. _I should've known, though. Jay and I had been together for the longest time. I probably spent many more hours with him than I did with my own relatives, or anyone else in the house that I lived in. We knew each other so well that it would've been even stranger if he _hadn't _noticed.

However, the fact that he _did _notice wasn't something to be happy about. After the epiphany had hit me last night about Toushirou and Rangiku's secret, I had been awake the rest of the hours simply tossing and turning. It wasn't the fact that they were Shinigami that kept me up—it was the question about what I was supposed to do now that I knew.

Actually, that wasn't right, either.

I was alert and restless all night wondering what I was going to tell _Jay._ After my realization of the two new transfer students, a million different questions immediately sprung up in my mind. One had been the most prominent. I wasn't lost. I knew what I was supposed to do—what I _had_ to do. I wasn't going to back out of it. I mean, what was I supposed to be? _Scared _of them?

I nearly snorted at the thought.

No, the problem lay solely in what I was going to tell Jay. Undoubtedly, if merely knowing about their true... state of being meant that I got myself into something I shouldn't have, I didn't want to drag Jay into it with me. After all, while we both shared the odd ability of being able to communicate with spirits and other supernatural beings, it didn't mean that he _wished _it. I had never asked him what he felt about our unusual gift because he emitted an aura that expressed he didn't want to speak of it.

Did that mean he hated it? Despised it? If that was the case, I sure as hell wouldn't force him into another world that revolved around people who were Shinigami.

Yet even though I thought all these things, a part of me was reprimanding myself for keeping silent about such an issue. Jay would, unquestionably, want to know about something as significant as this. Especially if I _did _somehow manage to get myself in trouble with the Shinigami laws. I didn't doubt that there was a rule against having humans being aware of their existence. After all, humans in general weren't supposed to be able to be conscious of their presence.

If he knew, what would he do? What _could _he do? Jay was strong, yes. It wasn't an opinion, but rather a fact. But I wasn't stupid enough to think that Jay was some kind of super hero in the movies. I wasn't going to delude myself into thinking that he would be able to smash his fist into Toushirou's face and then actually knock the white-haired enigma unconscious. With the way Toushirou's short legs moved yesterday, I was sure that he wasn't an easy target. Not to mention the fact that, as a Shinigami, he must've received years of combat lessons.

"Princess?" Jay peered down at me, once again snapping me out of my own thoughts. I looked up at him, seeing his raised eyebrows, before my eyes swept around my surroundings. I had been so absorbed in my own thoughts that I hadn't even realized that I had long gotten past the main entrance of the school.

I stared blankly straight ahead of me at the closed classroom door. With my thoughts still a wreck, there was no way that I'd say anything. Not until I had everything sorted out, at least. So I simply shook my head at him and mumbled with a sigh, "It's nothing."

The onyx-haired male was obviously unconvinced with my answer, but he remained silent. He was the kind of person that wouldn't pry too deeply into things that weren't his own business. Jay was one of those people that simply waited—they would listen to you speak when you, yourself, decided you were ready for someone to listen. It was one of the many things about him that I loved, and I really couldn't have been more grateful to him about it than I did in that moment.

"Well," he said lightly. "Alright then." With a bright, reassuring smile on his face, Jay opened up the door that I had been in front of, our feet bringing us towards our desks situated on the opposite side of the room. He didn't look the least bit offended about it, but there was this glimmer in his eyes and a certain tug of his lips that seemed tight.

My eyebrows furrowed together as I sat down, twisting my body around slightly to stare at him. "It's not like—It's not that I don't—You know how it's like you just—" I shut my mouth, nothing coming out of it correctly. Everything just sounded _wrong_. Maybe it was because I didn't even know what I was trying to say anymore. My thoughts were a complete and utter mess, and I _hated _it when I got like this.

Jay graced me with an amused look and laughed. "Calm down, Princess. Like I said, it's fine. I'm not hurt or anything. There are some things in life that you just want to keep a secret, even if it's only for a little while, right?" There was sincere understanding embroidered in his tone of voice, and I couldn't help but blink at him for a moment.

Something pulled at my mind.

"...Right," I eventually agreed. Turning back to the front of the classroom, I felt my features contorting themselves into a much less friendly expression. As a mafia leader's daughter, I had to say that I really didn't look quite that gracious in the first place. It said a lot about how unpleasant and unapproachable I was when something bothered me enough for me to show it. And for some reason, the way Jay had said it—the way his voice sounded, the way his eyes darkened, the almost _melancholic _emotion that settled along his angular features—it made something knot in my stomach.

There was a burning sensation in the side of my head where Jay's eyes burned into my skin, but I determinedly ignored him. I was too busy trying to decipher his mood from earlier, and I really didn't want to look at him now and have to try and understand even more about his strange expressions for the day.

A moment later, I saw him turn his head away to stare out of the window from the corner of my eyes. Having his intense gaze relieve itself of me automatically had me relaxing in my seat. However, my minimal muscles only had a second's worth of time to bathe in leisure before they immediately stiffened again.

Without a doubt, the reason for my tension was the two figures that glided—freakin' _glided_—into the room.

I didn't care how rude or mean or hostile I seemed as I full-out _glowered _at Toushirou as he met my eyes. When he saw the expression on my face, his eyebrows scrunched together slightly, light confusion briefly marring his stupidly handsome features before it disappeared just as fast. He smoothed out his countenance like a pro.

If I had to be honest, I probably wouldn't have been so angry and antagonistic toward him if I had just figured myself out. If I had just had enough time to realize what was going on and what I could or couldn't say, maybe I wouldn't have looked at him like I wanted to rip his head off after shaving him bald and then dump him into a nearby lake so that he'd float somewhere and let bears attack him.

But, obviously, I wasn't given that time, and I wasn't the happiest nor the kindest person around. Therefore I glared at him like he had kicked Alph and Patch.

"Good morning!" Rangiku chirped loudly when she was a few steps away. She threw a slender arm up in the air cheerfully, her pale sapphire eyes just as bright as always. A part of me wondered whether or not she was truly this optimistic and happy-go-lucky, or if it was just a pretense that she put up in order to make herself seem more like a regular student.

Jay returned her salutation much more happily than I did. I mumbled it out, trying not to look like I was attempting to swallow down a softball. I could feel both Shinigami's eyes on me, but I merely averted their gazes and leaned back in my seat.

I needed an opportunity to speak with either one of them—or maybe even both—without any other people lingering around. No students, no teachers, no _Jay_.

I didn't realize how hard it was going to be until I actually thought of it in my mind.

Resisting the urge to flip a table over in complete and utter frustration, I settled for letting out a loud sigh and running a hand through my hair, only to realize that I disheveled my pinned-up bangs. Agitated beyond belief, I took out all the bobby pins I had used to pull the strands of hair back and then redid it. It didn't take long, but I was never a morning person, and I was less so if I didn't even sleep.

Needless to say, although I wasn't a princess by any means during the day, mornings were probably the time of the day in which I was more like an ogre than anything else.

Our homeroom teacher entered the room before anyone from the trio could call me out on my ridiculously aggravated attitude. After he managed to calm the class down, he stood in front of us in his grey suit and said, "As you all know, the school festival is only a month and a half away. It's been announced in a meeting earlier today that we need to decide on what our class is doing, and who will be our representatives." He paused as half the class groaned and half the class cheered. "So does anyone have any suggestions?"

"Maid cafe!" one of the boys on the opposite side of the room shouted, earning laughter and hoots.

"Put a sock in it, Ogura!" A fiery girl exclaimed. "Let's do a haunted house!"

"No way!" A duo of girls chorused at the exact same time as they whipped around to look at her.

The commotion in the room began to escalate as more and more people started talking simultaneously. I rubbed at my temples with my two fingers, shutting my eyes. I was planning to sleep in class the entire day in order to make up for my lack of rest during the night, but with this level of noise, there was absolutely no way that I would be able to even shut my eyes without thinking of murdering everyone in the room in order to stop their yapping.

It was something that I was currently thinking of doing.

"Quiet down!" Omoto-sensei raised his voice so that it resounded through every single person in the room, shutting everyone up very effectively. I opened my eyes and silently blessed the middle-aged man. For just a moment, he had been my hero.

... And he saved everyone else from my wrath, but nobody really had to know.

Picking up a piece of white chalk from the ledge, Omoto-sensei listed on the board, "Maid cafe, haunted house... What else?" Before a peep could come out of anyone else, he emphasized loudly, "_One at a time."_

People began spouting ideas. I tried to drown everyone out as I lay my head down in my arms, feeling exhausted, but still so irritated. My senses were on high alert. It was an instinct for me to be aware of my surroundings and what was going on. My body had automatically stiffened when they came into the room, and ever since then, my muscles remained locked. I knew that it was stupid, though. After all, there was no way that I could outrun people who could practically fly.

I didn't know how much time had passed before I heard Omoto-sensei declare, "So, according to the votes, we're going to go with a cosplay photoshoot-like event. Now that we know what the setup is, it's important that we have two class representatives that will help organize and lead the production. I'd like to have one female and one male. Any volunteers?"

The room remained silent as everyone looked around at each other. They signaled their friends with their eyes. It was apparent that nobody wanted to do the job, but who could blame them? It was a task that took so much effort and a lot of time. Most people nowadays had much better things to do than be the class representative for events.

Turning my head to the side, which allowed me to see the expanse of the classroom in front of me while my head remained resting in my arms, I watched in mild interest as a girl raised her hand up. "Omoto-sensei! Can I nominate someone to be the organizer?"

Unfazed by the question, Omoto-sensei merely said, "If you have two other people who agree with you, then sure. Who do you have in mind?"

"I think Hitsugaya-kun would be a great class representative!" The girl, Yoshida Yori, announced boldly. Instantaneously, the class all burst out their opinions at once. From what I could tell, they were all pleased with Yori's choice of nomination.

Unable to help myself, I looked over to where Toushirou sat in his seat, tension radiating off of him in flames. Somehow, I found my lips pulling upwards into a slight smirk as I commented, "It must feel good to be so popular, Toushirou."

He slanted me an irritated look. "Shut up, Tsubaki. And I've said it plenty of times before—it's 'Hitsugaya-san.'"

The smirk on my face only stretched a bit wider in response. "Right."

"Well, if Hitsugaya wants to..." Omoto-sensei's sentence drifted off, and everyone's eyes turned to look over at the teal-orbed student. There was a hopeful glint in everyone's eyes as they looked at him. Their expectations were so high, I almost felt a smudge of sympathy for them—Toushirou would, without a doubt, deny the position.

I wasn't wrong.

The male who was regarded as the centre of attention shut his eyes and sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "No thank you."

Upon hearing his words, the entire class once again broke out into loud cries or accusations. If I hadn't been analyzing Toushirou so closely, I would've missed the way his eyebrow twitched mildly in agitation. I snickered under my breath at his obvious aggravation, and his sharp teal eyes opened to shoot me a distasteful look.

Clearing his throat noisily to capture the attention of all the students, Omoto-sensei waited a short moment for everyone to settle down again before asking, "Hitsugaya, is there any reason in particular why you can't fulfill the role? I'm sure that you can tell that the entire class would like for you to be the one to organize it."

"There are many things I'm required to do after school," Toushirou answered. If I hadn't known better, I would've merely scoffed and believed that he was lying. However, I wasn't as ignorant as I used to be. I was sure that he _was _quite busy. "I don't have the time to be the class representative."

"Is it impossible for you to put those things on hold temporarily?" Omoto-sensei pressed. Even though teachers weren't supposed to have favourites—or, well, none of them would so blatantly show it—it was evident that Omoto-sensei had taken a deep liking to the snowy-haired Shinigami.

"Yes," responded Toushirou without an ounce of hesitation. Before the class could explode once again into protests, Rangiku's beautiful voice flowed in between the anxious bodies.

With bright eyes and an equally vibrant tone, she suggested, "Why don't you go for it, Hitsugaya-san? I mean, I can help you with your after school activities! It'll be so fun being a representative, don't you think?"

"Matsumoto..." The underlying growl was heard in his voice. He was _not _pleased.

"It's a great way to get involved in the school," Jay added, grinning at Toushirou over the top of my head. "Since you've just transferred, it'll help you get around and meet people. It'll be fun, Toushirou."

"Michimoto is right," Omoto-sensei agreed. For once, his lips seemed to pull up into a faint smile while saying Jay's name. It made a flash of guilt invade my system, because I knew that if Jay wasn't so closely associated with me, everyone would love him. He would be so incredibly popular, and he would be able to experience the life of a normal teenage boy.

The twitch in Toushirou's eyebrow just seemed to get more dominant with every second that passed by. He shut his eyes again, exhaling. I could see the wheels turning in his head—it was obvious that he was reluctant and unwilling to do the job, but everyone was cornering him to do it. I supposed he had never expected Rangiku to completely wipe out his lie like that. She had practically fed him to the sharks.

I had to admit that it amused me to see Toushirou's pained expression when he came to the realization that he had to do it.

"...Fine," Toushirou eventually agreed. He heaved out another sigh. His expression spoke a thousand words about how he felt about being roped into doing the job. But I felt like, even though he was so disinclined to do it, what Jay said was right. It was probably the first time that he would be getting so involved in school—it would be a nice experience for him. School festivals were always very lively and entertaining, even through my eyes.

Instantaneously, his participation in the school festival had my mind whirling. There were so many questions that were dying to slip out my mouth. I wanted to just grab the white-haired male and drag him off to an isolated area where I could clutch onto his shoulders and shake him as I shouted out all my inquiries. However, that would never happen. Which was why I figured that him being a class representative actually worked to my advantage—the two volunteers that acted as the representatives had to spend a lot of time together. _Alone_.

Well, damn.

I didn't harbour any deep hatred toward Karakura High Academy or anything of the sort, but being _involved _in the school's affairs on such a deep level just wasn't... My sort of thing. I didn't have anything particularly against being engaged in school activities, but it was the other way around. I was aware of who I was and how other people perceived me. It was rare that my active participation in something was actually approved of by others, even if they didn't say it. I understood how they felt, therefore I saved them the trouble of fearing any mishaps or any other problems.

But this time... My eyebrows furrowed together as I thought about it. Was I really going to just let this amazing chance slip through my fingers because I was worried about how other people in the school thought about me?  
><em><br>Hell no. _

Being a representative with Toushirou gave me numerous opportunities to wring the answers out of him without anyone else being around. I wasn't going to pass it up for any stupid reasons. Admittedly, it was heartless of me to disregard everyone else's opinions and feelings on the matter, but when I thought back on it, there had never been a time in my life in which I had stated I was a nice person.

Upon reaching my decision, the urge to sigh escaped me. I knew that I would get so much flak for it. Jay would, undoubtedly, catch on that something was strange. My parents would probably be torn about it, and John would wonder if I had gone insane. My classmates and teachers would also most likely wonder whether or not I was plotting to murder them on the day of the festival.

"Fantastic." Omoto-sensei's lips pulled upward into a pleased smile, and he wrote Toushirou's full name down onto the board under the "Class Representatives" heading. His eyes scanned around the room, and he opened his mouth. "Now who wants to be—"

I didn't even let him finish his sentence as I raised my hand up lazily and interrupted, "I'll do it."

Silence. Like I had expected.

As my dark eyes swept through the classroom, I took in the stunned facial expressions of my classmates. My words had stupefied them, but that wasn't surprising. I hardly spoke in class unless I was muttering to Jay. Even during class discussions, I remained silent and merely listened or doodled in my notebook. Everyone saw me as someone detached from the rest of them, not wanting to get close or get absorbed.

I wondered if they felt like the sky was falling.

Jay blinked from beside me. From my peripheral vision, I saw him open his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but he eventually just snapped his jaws shut once again. His eyes pierced through my skull, but I determinedly didn't turn to meet his gaze. Instead, I stared unwaveringly at Omoto-sensei, waiting for his spluttering approval or his stammering denial.

After the initial stillness in the room, everyone began to whisper under their breaths. Fortunately, I didn't care enough to try and eavesdrop on what everyone was saying. It wasn't as if it mattered to me, anyway.

"Are—Are you sure that you'd like to do it, Tsubaki?" Omoto-sensei asked. The smile that had been on his face had disappeared, and it was replaced by a downward tilt of the lips. I wanted to grin at him in dark amusement—the way that it was going, the class reps would be both his most adored and most feared students.

"Yeah," I answered vaguely. I didn't see a reason to explain why I wanted to do it, and I hoped that they didn't question me on that matter.

Luckily, he didn't. Instead, he simply stayed silent for a long, tense moment before nodding. "Alright. Tsubaki will be our female representative." His back faced us as he turned and began writing my name next to Toushirou's. As he wrote it, he instructed, "After school today, the two you should meet up and decide on details regarding how everything will work out and what needs to be done. I want a neat list by tomorrow morning—remember to keep our class budget and time into consideration." He tapped at the numbers he had written on the board.

"Yes," Toushirou and I chorused without much enthusiasm.

Satisfied, I leaned back against my chair and smirked.

* * *

><p>"Go on without me," I told them with a roll of my eyes as I stood in front of the three men, arms folded across my chest and a mild scowl gracing my features. We had been staring each other down for the longest time, wondering who was going to break first. Unfortunately, John was just as stubborn as I was.<p>

"Do you _want_ to die?" John demanded incredulously. "Who the hell do you think you _are_, Yuzuru? Do you have any idea how many people want you dead?"

My lips tightened as I met his hard hazel orbs. Sarcasm dripped off every word I said. "No. It slipped my mind. Seriously, John. It really did."

A vein bulged in his neck, and he inhaled deeply. "Don't make my life difficult, Yuzuru. If you're aware of your position, why did you agree to do this?"

"Why can't I?" I countered. "It's not like I'm telling you I signed up for a month-long trip to an unfamiliar region in Japan all alone. Even though Jay's not going to be with me, Toushirou is."

"Okay, hold up." John ran a hand roughly through his shaggy chocolate hair. "What the hell makes you think that someone like _that _could save you from a gang of guys three times both your sizes and carrying weapons? Are you joking with me?"

"It's been a year since the last time someone tried to kill me so obviously, John." My eyes were steady and level as I watched him. Something tugged at my heart as the words left my lips, but I pushed it aside. I didn't have time to try and decipher what that feeling was. "It's fine. Believe me when I say it is."

My brother-like bodyguard let out a humourless laugh. "And what do _you _know, Yuzuru? You don't concern yourself deeply enough with the mafia world to know what's truly going on. You have no idea what other groups are planning, or what they're currently putting into action. Don't—"

"_Don't_," I interrupted as my eyes darkened even more, "patronize me." Ice frosted along my voice, the level of hostility rising inside of me. It was rare for me to shout or yell in anger, and even then, it would be due to concern more than anything else. I expressed my rage through the way it was always present in my surprisingly calm way of speaking. My words simply seemed to create an incline in the tension in the atmosphere.

Electricity crackled between us despite the freezing auras that we gave off. The challenge hung between us stiffly, provokingly. I wanted nothing more than to pivot on my heels and turn away, but I knew that I couldn't leave things like they were. John was merely doing his job—he was supposed to look after me, to protect me. I understood that. And I understood why he was so adamant on the fact that I shouldn't be the class representative.

But I was equally obstinate on confronting Toushirou.

With his dark amethyst eyes darting between the two of us, Jay pushed himself off the side of the black car he had been leaning against. Placing a hand on John's shoulder and meeting the older man's eyes, Jay offered an upward slant of the lips. "I'm sure she'll be fine, John. Toushirou might look small and all, but he's tough."

Somehow, nothing but confidence and sincerity could be heard in Jay's voice.

My eyes shifted over to rest on my best friend, my eyebrows knotting together slightly. Jay wasn't the type to lie for my sake so easily, especially when I knew he was also against me being the rep. So why was he? Why did he sound so genuine, like he truly believed it?

"Do you have _any _idea how risky it is, Jay?" John hissed, his eyes glinting dangerously. "God, this is so stressful. Why are you such a handful, damn it? I need a smoke." He reached into the pocket of his pressed black suit, but Kanegai stopped him.

Giving John a warning look, the older man chided, "We're in a public zone." His eyes flickered over to me for a moment before he stated, "Young Mistress doesn't look like she's going to give up on her position. Shall we head home and speak with Master and Mistress first?"

I had to love Kanegai. He was very understanding and he always kept his cool, no matter what the situation was. His kindness stretched to unfathomable extents, but so was his determination. I doubted that I'd ever meet anyone else like Kanegai in my lifetime—he was wonderful, even in my eyes.

Immediately, my muscles relaxed themselves a tad. My eyebrows slunk away from one another, my antagonism subsiding. When the chauffeur's stormy eyes slid over to meet mine, I figured that it was my cue to leave.  
><em><br>"I'll take care of everything for you," _was what his gentle steel eyes silently said to me.

Starting to take small steps back towards the school, I gave Kanegai a thankful upward incline of my lips before fixating my gaze on the other two. "I'll be fine, Jay, John. Don't worry; I'll call when I'm finished. I won't go home alone. I'm sure that Mom and Dad will understand—it's..." I paused for a moment, my eyes dropping onto the floor. My voice was quiet as I finished, "Important to me." Without another word or another spare look, I whirled around and began lightly jogging back to the school, racing up the stairs and down the hallways.

I stopped in front of the closed classroom door, taking a moment to recompose myself. Millions of scenarios, phrases, and questions flew around in my mind, reverberating off one another and off the walls of my head. I tried to sort them out, to retain them, but it was proved to be futile. Shaking my head, I inhaled deeply before opening the door.

The sight that graced me upon my entrance was the snow-haired Shinigami leaning against the edge of his desk to face the open windows, one of his legs bent and pulled back. He had one hand in the pocket of his black pants, and he had unbuttoned his onyx blazer completely. His free hand held his phone in it, but his teal eyes flickered away from the glowing screen to rest on me.

I shut the door behind me, locking it. His eyes narrowed upon catching the action, and everything about him stiffened a bit. I, too, watched him warily as I entered the room. "Toushirou."

"Hitsugaya-san," he corrected, though there was an edge to his tone of voice. He glanced once more at his phone before he snapped it shut and slipped it back into the pocket of his pants. Giving me his undivided attention, he said, "Let's get this over and done with."

"Yeah, let's," I agreed. What _he_ wanted to get finished was much, _much_ different than what _I _intended to get clarified, though. Before he could start on the stupid class budget and the preparations for the festival, I cut straight to what I needed to know from him. "Why are you here, Toushirou?"

The question seemed to throw him off his equilibrium for just a second, as his eyes widened before they narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said." I met his vigilant gaze with my own. Myriads of different things fluttered across his turquoise oceans, but they vanished and reappeared too quickly for me to figure any of them out.

"... What brought this on, Tsubaki?" Despite the fact that his voice detained its usual calmness, I could detect the blanket of tension that lay underneath his words. His body was more rigid than it had been when I originally came into the room.

I stopped when I reached my desk. Turning around so that I faced him, I pushed myself up to sit on the smooth wooden platform. My hands gripped the rim of the desk lightly, and the tone of my voice was matter-of-fact. "I can only think of two reasons why you're here. One is that you're on vacation or something and decided you'd visit Earth during that time." His eyes only narrowed even more as I spoke. "And the second is that they _need _you here for some reason."

"You know." He didn't ask it.

Something similar to a twisted smile danced along my features. "I want to know why they need you here. Why they need Rangiku here."

Toushirou deserved a commendation because he didn't outwardly lose his cool at all. Rather, it seemed to be the complete opposite—it was like his instincts told him to turn more collected, more composed. His voice was steady and firm as he asked, "How did you figure it out?"

"I've always been able to see... things... that normal people shouldn't," I answered honestly. "I don't know why. Maybe I was just born with it. But I have to say, I wouldn't have guessed that you're both Shinigami if I hadn't seen Kurosaki Ichigo last night on a rooftop dressed in his uniform."

"You know Kurosaki?" Toushirou questioned.

"Not personally," I replied. "I see him around, though. Both during the day when he's human and at night, when he's flying around killing Hollows. He's strong..." I drifted off for a second before returning my intense gaze onto him. "So why do they need you here?"

Toushirou's eyes disappeared underneath his eyelids, and he let out a loud, heavy exhale. He ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it though he didn't seem to care. He then folded his arms across his chest. "You're the most troublesome person I've ever met."

"Thank you. I try," came my dry response. I assessed him through my near obsidian eyes, trying to catch anything that would help me conclude any of my questions. His eyes remained closed as he contemplated how to tackle this problem, and I had to admit that I was grateful. I knew that it wasn't an appropriate thought, but my mind couldn't help but take a second or two to admire the way he looked. Part of my brain was trying, and failing, to capture his beauty so that I could redraw it later on paper.

Silence passed between the two of us for a moment, but he soon cracked an eye open and sighed once more. Messing up his hair again as he raked his fingers through the soft strands, he gazed at me piercingly and asked, "How much do you know?"

"How many of my questions are you going to answer?" I returned swiftly, meeting his stare with my own. I was taller than him from where I sat, which made me feel just slightly more intimidating than usual, but I knew he wasn't even the least bit fazed.

"I don't have the time to play games with you, Tsubaki," Toushirou told me, agitation lining his voice. His expression was contorted into a scowl as he regarded me evenly.

"Good," I answered lightly. "Because I don't have the time, either. The faster we clarify everything, the better. _You're _the one being difficult right now."

"_Me_?" His voice was painted with incredulity. "Take a look in the mirror to find someone who's truly 'difficult.'"

Somehow, it amused me how we seemed so alike and yet so different. I wanted to laugh, but nothing was funny. Shaking my head, I realized that our conversation wasn't really getting anywhere. We were practically still at the start. "Are you going to answer my questions are not?"

"And what of mine?" retorted Toushirou.

"That obviously depends on how you answer _mine_."

His sharp eyes regarded me carefully. A part of me wondered if he was stalling for time as his brain conjured up a plan, but a part of me also doubted he would be able to get himself out of this. I wondered how much stress I was putting on him, and a second's worth of guilt flooded my system. I was being a jerk for cornering him and pressuring him like this, but I didn't see any other way to get my answers. I had a feeling that while it was harder to extract information out of Toushirou, it was also much safer than asking Rangiku. Between the two of them, it seemed like Toushirou had more authority over the busty strawberry blond rather than vice versa, though I wasn't sure why. It perplexed me slightly, but I had a feeling that I'd learn the reason for it later.

"Why can't I erase your memories?" His words made my blood run colder than usual. They were spoken under his breath almost inaudibly—I was only a foot away, yet my ears had to strain themselves to hear him. They made me freeze where I was for a moment, my eyes narrowing at him in a mixture of cautiousness and disdain.

"_What_?" came my immediate response. My arm shot out on its own accord and grabbed onto the collar of his maroon dress shirt, clutching at it tightly. He was kidding me. There was no way that I was going to let him do something like _erase my memories. _Who did he think he was? "You can't."

He didn't let my aggressiveness get the better of him. Reaching a hand up, he grasped my wrist with his hand firmly. "Tsubaki, let go of my shirt."

"You are _not _erasing my memories, Hitsugaya Toushirou," I threatened. My voice was laced with malevolence and menace. Even so, I knew that I couldn't truly do anything against him if he got serious. After all, he was a Shinigami and I was a mere human—the worst I could do was probably ruin his nice hairdo before he had flipped me onto the ground and restrained me. It made me feel helpless, and that only fueled my fury more.

"I said that I _can't_," he growled out in annoyance. Upon hearing this, my grip loosened around his shirt, and he lightly swatted my hand away. Fixing the collar and smoothing out the creases I had created, he shot me a glower.

I blinked at him. "I thought you meant—"

"Evidently, your mind thought _wrong_," he interrupted. His expression twisted into a deeper scowl that reflected mine perfectly. "Really, Tsubaki. Does your arm fly out to grab onto people's collars like that very often?"

My jaw dropped to the floor at his insulting implication. I felt myself flushing, but at this point, I couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. A part of me wanted to just reach my arms out, wrap my hands around his neck, and then try strangling him to death. He was so—so—I did _not _like him. At all.

"I—you—_shut up_," I responded pathetically. My displeasure was plastered all over my face as I eyed the handsome—but _annoying_, mind you—Shinigami. I shook my head again subtly in an unsuccessful attempt to clear my thoughts. Starting with the main question that had been bothering me ever since I found out his true identity, I asked again, "Why are you here, Toushirou?"

"What makes you think I'm obligated to answer?" The stoic male's deep voice was unruffled, like he didn't see a reason to get worked up over anything. It made me want to slap him, quite frankly. There I was, a burning curiosity and sense of urgency eating up inside of me, but he was still able to be so calm and halcyon. Even though I knew he wasn't quite as composed on the inside, it still irritated me how he was able to keep on such a straight face while I was reduced to some kind of fuming puddle at his feet.

"So you're not going to answer?" Mild disbelief etched itself into my tone.

"I don't see a reason to," came his flat reply.

My eyes sunk intently into his. "Do you have _any _idea what you're saying right now? The extent of what you're doing? The consequences? If you don't answer my questions, I could go around telling the entire world about Shinigami and Hollows and—"

"And how many people do you think will truly believe you?" he interrupted.

"Do _you _have any idea how persuasive I can be, or how many people in modern-day society question the existence of supernatural beings?" I shot back at him fiercely. I wasn't the type to concern myself in things like religion or beliefs, but that didn't mean I wasn't aware of the talk that surrounded it. Whenever I walked by in town for whatever reason, there were moments in which my ears would catch phrases in conversations. It was never very hard to piece everything together and come up with a conclusion to what they had been speaking about.

He stared hard at me. "I never expected you to resort to blackmail."

A recollection resurfaced in my mind, and I found my lips automatically tilting up just a fraction as I asked, "Just like how you said you never saw me as the arrogant type?"

"Exactly." His eyes flickered off the side for a moment as hush embraced the two of us once again. The ticking of the clock was thunderous in the still room, the sound echoing off the walls for a brief second before fading. The songs from chirping birds would dance in through the opened windows behind me and whirl around the room, creating a cheerful melody as if to negate the solemn atmosphere.

Exhaling, his beautiful eyes darted back to lock with mine. There was a look of resignation in them when he looked at me, and I automatically found myself relaxing upon seeing it. "Alright, Tsubaki. I'll tell you what you want to know if you'll answer my questions honestly as well."

"Deal," I agreed. We both understand the mutual conclusion that there would be no handshaking.

Just like me, Toushirou visibly began to loosen up. His muscles unlocked themselves for a moment, and he placed his hands flat behind him on his desk, leaning back casually. "What do you want to know?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was cut off by a loud, frantic peeping sound. For a second, the two of us froze. I was rooted in my spot in confusion, but Toushirou's eyes glinted with something that looked like horrified recognition. He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, flipping it open. The screen glowed, the light of the screen dancing across his sharp features and gold skin. I couldn't do anything but blink at him in silence—my gut wrenched, and something inside of me told me to remain silent.

"This isn't good," Toushirou muttered under his breath. "Why now?" He snapped his phone shut, staring at it for another second before slipping it back in his pocket.

Something similar to wary concern began to trickle along my spine. With my lips thinned and a mentally-steeled mind, I asked, "What's wrong?"

His teal eyes flickered to the side, like he was looking at something over my shoulder. His eyebrows knotted together slightly, his expression turning grave. "It's coming."

"What's c—" Before I even had the chance to finish my sentence, a loud, bloodcurdling, earth-shattering wail ripped through the air, startling me. I slipped off of the desk I had been sitting on in surprise, my heart thumping deafeningly in my chest, and whirled around.

Standing a few meters away from the windows in the outside field stood an enormous, bulky, dark purple-grey Hollow. Despite the brightness of the background as the sun began to set, its glowing crimson eyes through the white mask rested menacingly, threateningly, on me. Recognition seemed to light his ruby orbs as they focused on me, zeroed in on me, suffocated me.

For some reason, fear didn't hold me paralyzed. My body was alarmed and was on edge, and there was no doubt that _some _kind of terror washed through me, but that wasn't the most prominent emotion I felt. It took me a moment to figure it out, but when I did, I wanted to slap myself.

I was _curious_.

And then the ground trembled as it began to get closer.

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><p><strong>AN: **

DUNDUNDUNNN. That's the end of the fifth chapter! I know, I know, it's a cliffie. I'M SORRY. THAT'S JUST HOW I ROLL. -SLAPPED-

What will happen next chapter? I feel like I already have a vague idea about it, so I don't _think _that my next chapter will take two months to write out... I hope. Seriously, I do. ENBOENWOBNWPE. I feel so bad about my late updates. OTL.

DEAR LORD, I'M SORRY IF TOUSHIROU IS OOC. ASDFGHJKL. I'm kind of dying when I write this story, because I don't know if he's in character or not. I feel like he's hard to get into character; is it just me? Either way, I died. Completely. I hope that he was okay!

Like always, I apologize for any OOCness ( But dear lord, I hope it didn't occur ), spelling mistakes, or grammar errors!

ENDLESS LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**AliceMarieSwan, Loving-you-is-a-crime, Smirk 'N' Sweat Drop, Silver Dragon, steel-alchemist, LOVE1213, xXMizukiXx, Youknowwhothisis, Snowlily246, Sh3lby, The Suburban Coyote, and RavenstoDust**

Thank you SO, SO SOOOO MUCH for your reviews! Trust me, I had to go over them so many times in order to get out enough creative juices to write the fifth chapter. I probably wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys, so thank you! I appreciate it so much, you have no idea.

Also, thanks a bunch to everyone who alerted and favourited! (:

RESPONSES... START!

To **Sh3lby**;

HAHA. Well, I'm glad that you love it so much.  
>ASDFGHJKL. So you skipped over it the first time you read it? How offensive. LOL, NO, I'M JUST JOKING. Don't take that seriously. I completely understand where you're coming from. I do it all the time! xD<br>Ahh, did you manage to start on Heterochromia yet? xP  
>Argh, really? I think that they're so incredibly different. Toushirou's the type to get annoyed and show it. He's stoic, but not overly so. I find Toushirou so ridiculously hard to keep in character; you have no idea how badly I beat myself up when I try to write about him. I die a bit. I'm hoping that as I get into the story more, his character will come easier to me. xD<br>YOUR PRAISESSS. Thank you so much! They mean a lot to me, and I'm quite touched. I'm so glad that I have your support and encouragement! I finally update, so I hope that you like it! (:  
>Thank you so much for your enthusiastic review, Sh3lby! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the last! (:<p>

To **The Suburban Coyote**;

... I UPDATED. PLEASE DON'T DIE. LOL.  
>I can't afford to be sued. ASDFGJKL. -writes like a madwoman- But in all honesty, your review made me laugh. I mean, does that make me a bad person? -SLAPPED- I'm not happy that you said you were dying and all, but when I got to the "sue you a bajilion..." I just died a bit. Thank you for making me laugh. LOL.<br>Sorry that it took me so long to update! I'll try harder to update more frequently.  
>Thank you so much for leaving me such an encouraging review! HAHA. I hope to hear from you more often! I hope you liked this chapter! ;D<p>

END OF RESPONSES!

Feel free to give me criticism! I believe that I'll only be able to write better and create better chapters if I end up getting feedback from my readers and from other fellow authors, so please don't be afraid! I don't bite. (:

I love getting reviews ( like I imagine most people do ), and they make me write a hella lot faster. xD

Love it? Like it? Hate it? Share your thoughts with me, because I'd love to hear them!

**Please drop me a review! I'd love to hear from you~**

I'll try updating faster, I swear! But no promises.

Until then, guys!

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	6. Puzzle Pieces

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Bleach or any of the characters. All rights belong solely to Kubo Tite.**

**A/N:**

I KNOW, I KNOW. IT'S BEEN A WHILE. ASDFGHJKL. I'm so sorry that I haven't been updating lately!

School started and it's kicking me the ass. No jokes. I'm dying in so many of my classes, and I feel like there's no time to do anything, let alone write a few chapters. Which is why I have to apologize if the chapter seems a bit rushed; I really, _really _wanted to get out a new chapter, but I only had a limited amount of time to squeeze it all out. OTL.

SO YEAH. )x

I'm honestly really apologetic though; I know that anyone who reads my stuff probably want to murder me for taking so long to update. Even so, I want to thank you guys so much for sticking with me! I'm hoping to get another chapter up in December, but no promises! X.x

Thank you to everyone who's still with me; and to anyone new readers... HI THERE. (x

To anyone who noticed or cared, yes, I DID change the summary. Again. I'll be changing it a lot until I find one that I actually like. HAHA.

**IMPORTANT: First off, this story takes place BEFORE the Winter War. Sorry I didn't mention it before! Secondly, I know that while reading, you may or may not think that I have plot holes and that it doesn't make sense. Remember that the story is just starting; there is much more to be revealed. Thirdly... Well, there's no thirdly. HAHA. NO WAIT. THIRDLY... I don't plan to abandon this story, just in case you're wondering. I might update slowly, but I'm not dropping this.**

Okay, I'll stop talking. LOL. HOW IS SCHOOL FOR YOU GUYS?

* * *

><p><span> FEATHERS<span>

**CHAPTER SIX;**

_"Puzzle Pieces"_

* * *

><p>It let out another wail that left my toes curling inside my shoes, the sound reverberating through my body and sinking in through layers upon layers of tissue to drown my heartbeat. My throat seemed to close up, but I knew that for whatever reason, I wasn't afraid. I wasn't about to piss myself or run away screaming my head off—I was just rooted in my spot, staring wide-eyed at the masked monster that was creeping closer with every earth-shaking step.<p>

I had only been staring for a few brief seconds before, suddenly, a white-clothed back blocked my vision. Written in kanji was the number ten, the character enclosed inside a simply decorated diamond. It was a beautiful haori, and it confirmed what I had thought about Toushirou.

He wasn't just a regular Shinigami.

Looking at me over his shoulder, he instructed, "Stay here and don't move." He straightened his gaze again, and he reached out to slam open the window. Propping a foot up onto the sill and placing a hand on the hilt of the sword he had strapped to his back with a pale green sash, he was just about to jump out the window before something stopped him.

My eyebrows strung together, and my voice was unusually quiet as I asked, "Toushirou?"

He didn't look back at me as he murmured, "Look away, Tsubaki." And then, before I could say anything to him, he propelled himself out of the window toward the Hollow that, upon seeing him approach, let out what could've been a war cry.

Unable to help it, I let out a scoff and rolled my eyes, folding my arms across my chest. I wanted to tell him that he was _beyond_ an idiot—how could he possibly think I would be able to look away from something like this? How did he think that I could just turn away and ignore the fact that he—_him_, a shortass white-haired little elementary-school kid—was going into battle against something that was eighty times his own size? He was delusional if he thought that I was going to just close my eyes and hope for the best.

But a part of me knew that how short or small or weak Toushirou looked didn't mean anything, because I knew that he wasn't vulnerable. He _wasn't_ weak. I just didn't want to admit to myself that maybe, just maybe, he was someone powerful. Because of course, how could someone be so ridiculously gifted?  
><em><br>Jealousy at its finest, _my mind murmured as I smiled dryly with thin lips. A soft sigh escaped me, and I found my feet bringing me closer to the window. My hands gripped at the edges as I stared out at the scene in front of me, my expression solemn.

The fight between the two didn't last very long. In fact, it was _incredibly _short. It seemed to take little to no effort as Toushirou's zanpakutou sliced through the very center of the Hollow, all the way from the tip of its mask down to the ground. The Hollow let out a shriek that made my hands clench tighter around the sill. The thunderous, inhumane noise was cut off halfway as the body began to disintegrate into black particles, which eventually vanished into the air.

Straightening himself up, Toushirou stared at where the Hollow had been for a moment. I wondered what he was thinking—what was running through his mind when he did that? Even though I knew that the soul was purified and then sent to Soul Society, it still looked so incredibly close to murder. I hated how it seemed so brutal, but then again, how could I possibly say anything? At least the souls were getting cleansed. It was a infinitely better than having the souls truly obliterated.

Sliding his zanpakutou back into its sheath, Toushirou turned and jumped, landing on air. It didn't surprise me, as I had seen Ichigo and Ishida do similar things. I merely watched as he approached the window again, his expression grave. He stopped when he standing right outside the square opening, staring down at me with an unfathomable expression on his face.

I raised my eyebrows at him and commented sarcastically, "I'm stunning and all, but most people would at least _try _to stare more subtly."

His expression twisted into a scowl, and he rolled his eyes skyward. "And to think that I was actually concerned about your mentality," he muttered.

For some odd, stupid reason, his words hit something inside my heart. Something similar to warmth flooded through my system, but I chose to ignore it. Shrugging my shoulders, I reminded him, "I've already told you that I'm used to seeing things like that. It's _your _fault for thinking that I'd go berserk."

"Seeing them from a distance and having them fifty meters away from you is immensely different," Toushirou stated flatly. He motioned at me to move over to the side, and after stalling for a moment just to irritate him—I had to smirk when his eyebrow twitched—I slid over to allow him back into the classroom.

He landed silently onto the tiled classroom floor, his haori following his motions delicately. I turned around and leaned against the wall, watching him walk over to his motionless body, which was seated carelessly at a desk. After flicking a glance at me, he slipped inside, his robed form disappearing inside his human-like physique. I watched him with fascination, my eyes fixated on the scene. It took two or three seconds before Toushirou shifted, rearranging his position into a more comfortable one.

Catching me in the act of ogling, he remarked, "Haven't you ever heard of the phrase, 'it's rude to stare,' Tsubaki?"

The look on my face soured immediately. For someone so serious, he definitely had a lot of sass to him. Although I hated to admit it, it was... refreshing. People often treated me so differently, and to have him disregard my family background was something that I grudgingly admired. Then again, he was a dead guy who probably wouldn't be affected even if John shot him with a gun, so maybe my admiration was false. Nonetheless, it was still entertaining.

"It was interesting." I went down the honesty route rather than creating some kind of snappy response. Lifting up a shoulder in a half-shrug, I confessed nonchalantly, "I had never seen that happen before—the transition from a human to a Shinigami or vice versa. I knew that it had to happen, but..." I trailed off, not knowing how to finish. My face scrunched up slightly in distaste when I realized I was hoping that he would just _understand _what I was saying.

Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on how a person looked at it—the white-haired Shinigami did. He blinked his eyes at me for a moment, his expression neutral, before he looked away as his features shifted to contemplation. "It's odd."

"What is?" My voice was a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

Rather than replying, Toushirou merely shook his head. "It's nothing."

I scowled at him, folding my arms across my chest. My agitation spiked at his actions and I didn't bother hiding it. "You can't _do _that."

"Do what?" A miniscule amount of befuddlement lined his voice as he slanted his gaze toward me again.

"You can't just say something that piques curiosity and then just _not tell me_," I replied incredulously. I pursed my lips and sent him a small glower. "That's being cruel."

For a moment, he stared at me like I was an idiot. Or like I was some kind of human made out of green goop with kangaroo tails for hair and zebra stripes lining my goop-made skin and—his sigh stopped my overactive imagination.

"There are some things that you're better off not knowing," was his simple, but infuriating response.

One of my eyebrows rose up in a darkly entertained way. "You probably think you sound _so _wise saying that, don't you?"

Toushirou remained silent for a few heartbeats, his eyes half-lidded as he gazed down at the ground with an expression that I couldn't describe. In that moment, he looked like he was far off in another world. Yet it came and disappeared in a flutter of wings, because when he spoke, his eyes were sharp and alert—they were so _grounded_. "I've seen and experienced many things, Tsubaki. More than you can comprehend."

The tone of voice he used was so unusual; I couldn't place my finger on it. It sounded almost as if he was both loathing of it, yet it created wistful nostalgia in him. His words seemed to be laced with sadness underneath its apathy and factuality. It struck me right in the face, beating down my exasperation.

"I know." It came out quieter than I expected. Shaking my head, I continued in a blasé fashion, "But something like that depends on the individual, doesn't it? Some people prefer going with, 'ignorance is bliss' but there are people out there who would want to know everything, even if there are things that will crush them."

"Why go through that trouble?" The turquoise-eyed male locked eyes with me, obsidian clashing with emerald mixed into sapphire. His gaze was so piercing, so intense, I felt like there was no more oxygen in the atmosphere. "If you could save yourself the possibility of breaking, why would you purposely disregard such a thing?"

My answer was simple. "Because there are things that are worth that risk."

Silence sung between us as we stared unwaveringly at one another. I didn't know why we both seemed so adamant on maintaining eye contact, but we were. And I couldn't possibly conjure up a reason why, but I couldn't look away. It was like some kind of force compelled me to keep my eyes locked with his for as long as I could, even if I didn't want to do such a thing.

And I really didn't.

Aside from the fact that having someone stare at you so intently was just plain uncomfortable, staring at Toushirou was something that threw me into a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. Because he probably didn't know it, but his eyes were so expressive yet so confusing. It made me want to decipher him, even though I knew that it would be a bad idea to do so.

Then again... I'm a mafia boss' daughter. My _life_ is made by ignoring my rational side. In other words, doing badass things that I _knew _I shouldn't be doing kept me entertained. The whole Toushirou being dead and a Shinigami thing? Yeah, well, it didn't change anything at all. Nada. Zilch. Nil.

Breaking eye-contact first, Toushirou let his eyes fall from mine onto the sheet of paper that sat neatly and untouched on his desk. Ignoring what had just transpired between us—_not _that anything had happened at all, obviously—he picked up the unperturbed pencil and said, "Let's get this finished as quickly as possible."

Oh, _hell _no. "I didn't forget about our negotiation for answers."

Toushirou stiffened almost imperceptibly before letting out a soft exhale. Leaning back in the seat, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me with expectancy and caution. "You're annoyingly persistent."

"A deal's a deal," I pointed out to him. Pausing, I added lightly, "Unless, of course, you're the kind of person that goes back on his word. And if you are, I'm going to punch you right in the eye. Just, you know, a fair warning right there."

One of his hands ran through his naturally spiky hair, disheveling it. Somehow, it still looked like every strand was perfectly in place. It made me want to reach out and ruffle his hair until it was a complete haystack and see if it still looked amazing _then_.

Like I expected, Toushirou muttered, "If you don't start, Tsubaki, then I will."

A small laugh escaped me before I could stop it. He was just so predictable that it was funny. And maybe, just maybe, it was sort of endearing. Just maybe.

It took me a moment to realize what had happened, but when I did, I immediately clamped my mouth shut and slapped my hands over my lips. My eyes widened as I stared ahead at the wall on the other side of the room, my body tensing. Had I been _laughing _because of something—had I just—I was too scared to look at Toushirou, but his eyes burned holes in the side of my face. Struggling to recompose myself, I forced my body to relax, and I mechanically pulled my hands off my face.

I cleared my throat and explained nonchalantly, "Something was stuck in my throat." I scowled instantly when I realized my pathetic excuse made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Trying again, I stated, "I was thinking about something that happened when I was—" I stopped myself, and was about to try one more time before settling for, "Why are you here?"

How much slicker could a person _get_? I was the master behind the word suave. _Definitely._

After taking a few seconds to get past his question on my sanity, Toushirou eventually answered, "There's been an unusually large amount of Hollows appearing in this town." He stopped for a short while before throwing at me, "How long have you been aware of these things?"

"I've seen Hollows and Shinigami for as long as I can remember." My lips thinned at my words, my expression twisting a bit. My eyebrows pulled together, and a question began forming inside my mind, but before it could fully form, I questioned cautiously, "Do you know _why _there's been an increase in Hollows lately?"

"No."

"Your tone implies that you have theories."

"Only a few."

"Feel free to share. It'd be preferable if it was within the next two seconds."

When I looked at him, he had his eyes narrowed at me. He was evidently reluctant to speak about it, but even so, he elaborated, "It could be mere coincidence that they're appearing so often. It's also a possibility that a crack has formed that leads to the human world and it's small enough to go unnoticed."

"But you don't think that it's any of that," I caught on.

He didn't say anything as he thought about it. "... Those are unlikely scenarios."

"Then what's your most prominent presumption?" An emotion that seemed uncannily similar to dread began to trickle down my spine, and I didn't know why. Buds of anxiety and restlessness began to bloom inside of me as my gaze rested on the musing white-haired Shinigami.

"...That they're looking for something, or some_one_," he eventually revealed. The calculating way he looked at me made me feel more uneasy than I already was.

I took a moment to deliberate over whether or not I wanted to take the bait that he had unintentionally set out. It was a debate that lasted five seconds before I found myself carefully asking, "Do you know what they're looking for? Or who?"

"That's two questions too many," he evaded. At the look of pure incredulity on my face, he pointed out, "I've already given more information than I've received. This is supposed to be a fair exchange, isn't it?"

"That's not—what you're doing right now—you can't just—" I couldn't even find the right words to speak. I was so frustrated that he was able to say something like that to render me completely speechless, because I knew he was right. If I started to push too hard for answers, I was sure that Toushirou would just completely withdraw from me and I would be left in the complete dark about everything that I wanted to know. So instead of demanding he tell me, I contented myself with a scowl and a, "You're so frustrating that it makes me want to poke you in the eyes and watch you roll around on the floor crying like a baby."

Another look crossed his features that practically stamped, "I think she's absolutely crazy" on his skin, but he let a scowl overcome it quickly. Deciding to ignore my comment—a wise choice, I had to admit—he went straight to the point. "What do you know?"

Even though his question was so broad, and I probably should've taken time to think it over, I didn't. I merely began to list things off. "I know about Shinigami and Hollows and Quincies. Inoue Orihime and Yasutora Sado aren't regular humans. Kuchiki Rukia is also a Shinigami. Soul Society is the place in which spirits go once they've finished their time on earth unless they've committed unspeakable sins, and Seireitei is the capital where Shinigami reside." I paused for a moment, realizing that there would be too much to say. "I know... a lot of things."

His eyes darkened the more I spoke, his body tensing for just a second before he relaxed again. Toushirou was clearly somewhat surprised at my knowledge, but he made sure that it didn't show plainly on his face. He made a contemplative noise. "Hmm."

Deciding that it was better not to question why he looked so pensive, as I was sure he would just make some kind of smartass response anyway, I settled for interrogating him some more. "So who or what do you think they're looking for?"

"We have a list of suspects." Before I could ask him for the names, he quickly shot down, "It's all confidential information."

"Aren't you already breaking that kind of secrecy by actually giving me some answers?" My voice was dry, and I gave him a pointed look. "Shinigami aren't supposed to reveal their existence to humans, right? You mentioned something about memory wiping."

"It's the most effective and commonly used route when, on rare occasions, a human unexpectedly becomes aware of the truth." He turned his head to stare out the window at the scenery that lay before him. The sky was only starting to dim, the sun beginning to set. A faint orange-yellow tint was starting to intermingle with the baby blue reflection.

My eyebrows pulled together at his words, because I recalled what he said earlier. "So why can't you erase mine?"

The sun-kissed male didn't even blink as he threw back, "Where did you get all that information?"

Neither one of us spoke for a moment, waiting for the other to make the first move. It was obvious that neither of us wanted to give out more knowledge than necessary, because it created a disadvantage. Even though we weren't enemies, I was sure that he didn't consider me a comrade, and I didn't have a reason to consider _him _one, either. We were both trying to find answers for our own personal benefit, and we were both playing it as safe as we could.

I rolled my eyes.

Screw _that_.

"People talk," I reminded him. "I hear Ichigo and the substitute Shinigami chat. After years of being able to see these kinds of things, I've pieced things together. Besides..." I tilted my head back and rested it against the wall, my eyes staring up at the uninteresting ceiling. "Spirits talk, too. Sometimes they say that they're waiting to get taken away."

"You've gathered so much information simply based on conversations you've eavesdropped on or have held with Pluses?" There was a tone in his voice that I couldn't understand. It almost sounded neutrally skeptical, and I found my eyes sliding over to the corners to look at him, just like how he looked at me.

For a moment, I blinked at him, trying to put together an answer that I could provide him. Was it unnatural for me to know, despite the years I've been exposed to such things? The more I thought about it, the more confused I got about why he seemed so disbelieving.

Through the open window, a feather danced into the room in flutters, obscuring my vision of the teal-orbed Shinigami in front of me. It was a beautiful, pure shade of white, the soft tuffs looking as soft as anything ever could be. It almost seemed to glow—like each strand that created it was weaved out of sunlight. Completely captivated, I absentmindedly reached a hand out, as if wanting to grasp it in my hands.

"Tsubaki?"

Reeling back almost as if I had gotten slapped, I lifted my eyes from my outstretched hand to Toushirou, who sat staring at me with a mildly perplexed expression on his face. My eyes shifted from him, then to my curled fingers. Eyebrows furrowing, I pulled my hand back and opened them, seeing nothing there.  
><em><br>What...? _

"What's wrong?" There was a serious note in Toushirou's voice. I wanted to tell him to calm down—that I wasn't about to drop dead from a terminal illness, but for some reason, I was unable to let the snarky retort leave my lips. Maybe it was because I knew that he was someone who had been in battle for so long, and that he had gone through things that would surely be traumatizing. On the battlefield, there were surely instances where he thought nothing was wrong with a comrade, but within seconds, everything did a one-eight turn—especially since Shinigami battles seemed so unpredictable and capricious.

Slowly shaking my head, I let my arm fall limply to my side. "It's nothing."  
><em><br>That was strange, _was a thought that lingered. _That wasn't the first time. _

Grimacing, I made a mental note of that in the back of my mind before bringing myself back to the conversation I had with Toushirou. I would mull over that when I got home, but right now, I had other stuff that I needed to do that was just as significant. "You were asking me if I was able to get all that data from just mere conversations, right?"

Eyebrows still pulled together and a wary expression on his face, Toushirou confirmed, "Yes."

"I don't forget things," I notified him, lacing my fingers together behind my back as I leaned against the wall. Already knowing that he could tell that there was more than just that, I turned my head to stare out the window. The sun had already retreated halfway, the sky now painted with warm colours that mixed together beautifully. It was like a creation of art that had beauty that couldn't ever be expressed or captured; a miracle that happened every day, yet was never recognized. For some reason, whenever I watched sunsets, I felt so nostalgic. So forlorn. Yet... I felt so warm on the inside.

It reminded me that I was still able to feel something.

Shaking my head slowly as I broke myself out of my own reverie, I specified, "And by 'don't' what I really mean is that I _can't_." I paused, blinking as a flock of crows flew across the sky, their dark bodies contrasting greatly with the bright background. "Even if I want to forget things, or even if I try to, I can't. Things are imprinted into my mind like they're being burned into it. I can't forget anything. Even the smallest details, the slightest things that I never really even pay attention to, but are just _there_."

Realization was embroidered along his voice. "You have—"

"Eidetic—or perhaps I should say photographic—memory?" I finished for him. Quietly, I agreed, "Yeah, I do." I let a few heartbeats of silence follow my words before I snapped my head away from the window and quirked an eyebrow up at the embodiment of unique perfection. "Surprised?"

"A bit," he admitted honestly, though his tone didn't change. "Although, with how often you ignore class lectures, I had my suspicions."

This time, I was the one who was slightly baffled and doubtful. Giving him a pointed look, I responded in a faintly sarcastic tone, "Do you always just assume people have photographic memory when they don't pay attention in class?"

Unfazed by my words, he simply stated matter-of-factly, "You've never gotten less than perfect on any of your tests ever since enrolling into school."

Knocked speechless, it took me a second to accuse, "Are you a stalker or what?"

"You're an idiot," was his irritated response. "I received background information on people before coming to the human world."

"I'm _sure_," I sarcastically replied. Yet, as we exchanged looks, we shared a mutual understanding that none of our words—the insulting ones—were supposed to be taken to heart. We also seemed to silently come to an agreement that we would conclude our interrogation on one another for today, because he picked up the pencil again with a virile hand.

"Do you plan to stand the entire time?" he asked, not glancing up from the piece of paper as he began to write the title and the date.

Although I scowled at him lightly, I pushed myself off the wall I had been leaning against and made my way over to where he sat. I pulled out the chair that belonged to the desk in front of the one he sat at, turning it around so that I could face him. When I glanced down at the sheet, I couldn't help but notice just how beautiful and elegant his penmanship was.

As he began writing down the basics as I merely watched in silence—he seemed to be able to do everything just fine on his own—I felt my scowl getting deeper and deeper. Upon seeing the word "cosplayers" written down, I immediately threatened, "If you put my name down there, I will destroy you."

When he looked up at me from underneath his thick, white lashes, the expression on his face said everything. I merely scowled at him in response, and he asked, "Why did you force me to become representative?"

"Because I wanted to corner you and interrogate you," I replied without any hint of hesitation.

His eyebrow twitched, but he continued writing without faltering. "And in order to do that, you had to make me waste my time with this school stuff?"

"It's _your _fault for enrolling," I reminded him. Pointing at something he had written under "materials" I informed him, "We don't need that since the Art Club will be able to provide us it."

Erasing what he had written without objection, he continued on. "I didn't expect everyone in this school to be so stubborn."

Stabbing a finger in his direction, I said incredulously, "Don't even go there. You're an idiot if you haven't realized that everyone loves you because everyone thinks you're the epitome of perfection. Surely you've realized by now that you stand out with your—your—_delinquent-ized _hair!" I couldn't even find the right word to describe his physical appearance!

Giving me a glower, he practically hissed, "It's _natural_."

"I _know_, but that doesn't mean everyone else does. I mean, come _on_. Who has naturally white hair in the human world? At least wear a wig or something if you want to be an undercover super agent!"

"Undercover super—what is _wrong _with you? Are you eight?"

"_What_? That's what you're trying to be! And don't you dare call me childish—just because I don't act like I'm eighty—"

"You don't even know what you're talking about."

"You did _not _just patronize me!"

A sigh. "Tsubaki, give me back the piece of paper."

"_No_. Why do _you_ get to do everything?" I snatched the pencil right out of his hands and, slamming the piece of paper back down onto the table facing me, I began to continue where he left off.

His tone was faintly annoyed as he said, "You're a child."

"Shut _up_, chibi, I'm trying to concentrate."

"... _Chibi_?" His eyebrow twitched, a vein in his neck starting to bulge slightly.

"Shh!" I hushed him, refusing to smile at how entertaining he was. As Toushirou exploded, I couldn't help but laugh.

Maybe we would become friends, after all.

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe this," John muttered under his breath from the front seat. His arms were crossed tightly across his chest, his posture rigid. "Having Isumu-san and Alice-san agree to you doing the whole representative thing is hardly acceptable, but what don't you get about the terms that they set out for you?"<p>

Rolling my eyes, I looked out the window at the passing scenery as Kanegai drove me to school earlier than usual. I reminded the bodyguard, "Jay has a life, too. You can't just make him follow me around all the time."

"You two are practically _siblings_!" John exclaimed in frustration, clearly not seeing my point. "Your parents are going to kill me once they find out I actually let you come here without him. What part of, 'take Jay with you' did you _not _understand?"

I thought back to the obsidian-haired teenager back at my house, where I had left him sleeping soundly. There was no way that I was going to wake him up early just because my parents wanted me to lug him around with me because they were worried I'd get kidnapped or something just as unlikely.

"What part of, 'Jay isn't meant to be ordered around' do _you _not get?"

Before John could burst into a loud lecture, Kanegai smoothly inserted himself into the conversation. The middle-aged man's calm, warm voice flowed through the tense atmosphere as he tried to pacify us. "I'm sure that Master and Mistress won't be too angered. After all, at the very least, we didn't let Young Mistress walk to school all alone. The young man—Hitsugaya-san, is it?—seems to be reliable, as Jay seems to have faith in him."

"Jay puts his trust in everybody," John muttered bitterly. "Just because he trusts the guy doesn't mean anything."

Kanegai pulled up in front of the school, looking out the window. Upon seeing the white-haired male that stood leaning against the concrete banister of the stairs leading up to the main entrance, one hand in his pocket and the other playing with his phone, he assessed, "He looks like a nice, responsible young man."

"He has _white _hair!" John exclaimed incredulously.

Completely ignoring John, I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened up the door, grabbing the straps of my bag. "Thanks, Kanegai. I'll call you when I'm done after school." When he nodded, I shot John a glower over my shoulder and then exited, closing the door before whirling around and hurrying over to where Toushirou was waiting.

He straightened himself up as I approached, giving his phone one last, brief glance before resting his gaze on me. "Good morning."

"Good morning," I returned. The corner of my lips tugged downwards as I asked, "How long were you waiting?"

"Not very long," he replied, turning toward the door.

"I'm _ten _minutes early," I pointed out. "Are you always this punctual, or do you not sleep?" If Ichigo went around at night, then I was sure that Toushirou did as well. I had to admire how they were able to function properly despite being so sleep-deprived. I was sure that if I were them, I'd be a biting zombie.

He opened the door and held it open long enough for me to walk in before he followed suit—I stared at him like he was from another world, because I couldn't believe that chivalry even existed anymore; in other words, it was a sign that he was _old_—and he replied, "I had things to do this morning."

From the way he said it, it was obvious that those "things" were Shinigami related. I hummed noncommittally for a moment before asking, "Did you tell Rangiku about our conversation yesterday?"

He gave me a sideways glance. "Yes."

"Good," I nodded.

"You _do _realize," he started slowly, quietly, "that it's not a good thing?"

I raised an eyebrow at him and guessed, "Because my life is in danger if I associate myself with you guys?" I let out a scoff. "_Please_. According to my parents, my life is constantly in danger anyways. It's not something special."

"There's a significantly prominent difference between mafia gangs and Hollows."

"I don't see it," I replied honestly. At the "are you stupid?" look that he gave me, I shrugged and elaborated, "Either way, it can kill me. If I got shot by one of the mafia dudes, I could die. If I got hit by a Hollow, I could die. What difference does it make which kind of danger I involve myself in if either party can murder me?" Without waiting for a response, I answered, "_Exactly_."

We had just reached the teachers' office as I finished my sentence, which signaled the end of our conversation. I knocked and, upon receiving an invitation to enter, slid open the door. There were only a few teachers around in the office, some of them on their computers printing out an outline of the worksheets for the day while others were chatting with other teachers. Some were hustling about, trying to gather everything they needed.

Toushirou and I moved toward where our homeroom teacher was seated at his desk, looking intently at his monitor. The room got quieter as we entered, their eyes burning into our skin. For once, I wasn't sure whether I was the one they were staring at, or if it was Toushirou. I had to admit that, in their eyes, we probably looked like an amazingly unusual duo.

As if realizing that the air in the office was different, Omoto-sensei tore his gaze away from the screen just as we stopped at the side of his desk. He blinked at us, almost as if in a daze, before greeting in surprise, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Toushirou and I chimed unenthusiastically. I shot him a look which he ignored, his eyes resting on the middle-aged teacher.

"I suppose you two are here to hand in the planning sheet?" Omoto-sensei assumed, looking at us expectantly.

"Yes." Toushirou opened up his schoolbag and slipped out the unwrinkled, perfectly neat sheet of paper.

Omoto-sensei took the paper out of Toushirou's hands, eyes scanning it quickly to see that we had actually done it appropriately. He looked a mixture of surprised, awed, relieved, and proud as he looked up at us again. "This is perfect! Thank you, Hitsugaya, Tsubaki. I'll go over it in detail later and we'll discuss more about the festival during homeroom today. You're free to go, if you'd like."

"Thank you. If you don't mind..." Toushirou trailed off, a sign that he would be taking his leave. After receiving a brief nod from Omoto-sensei, the white-haired teen pivoted on his heel and began walking away.

Left there with my homeroom teacher staring at me, I awkwardly muttered, "Uh, yeah. What Toushirou said." And then I turned on my heels and hastily followed after him, refusing to be in that room any longer. When I exited and saw Toushirou down the hallway, I ran to catch up with him, making sure to slap him hard on the back when I did.

He whirled on me. "What was that for?" he demanded.

"You deserved it," I scowled. "Thanks for leaving me there."

Scoffing, he asked, "Do you plan to follow me around everywhere now?"

"Don't flatter yourself," I retorted instantaneously as we ascended up the staircase. We had twenty minutes left until class started, which meant that I would be going up to the rooftop to sketch something before the bell rang. I knew that Toushirou was heading up there too, but neither one of us seemed to bring it up into conversation.

At least it was a sign that we didn't _totally _loathe each other.

* * *

><p>Sighing, I opened up the front door. Immediately, the cold bite of night nipped at my skin, making me pull the jacket tighter around my body. I stepped outside onto the porch, closing the door behind me, and lightly trotted down the steps. It was pitch-black at this time, but I wasn't surprised—it was three o'clock in the morning.<p>

As I walked out to the back garden, I inhaled deeply, letting the air sprinkle frost along my lungs as I did so. I didn't know why, but I wasn't able to sleep at all. I had been twisting and turning in my bed the entire night, wishing for sleep to come, but it didn't. I felt too uneasy to sleep, too troubled.

There were still so many unanswered questions that lingered in my mind. So many predictions, assumptions, theories. There were so many mysteries, so many things left untouched, so many words left unasked. I didn't have a chance to speak with Toushirou after the morning, as he and Rangiku disappeared halfway through second block. I saw the two of them fly out in their spiritual forms, so I was sure that it was because of Shinigami-related duties.

It unnerved me that it took them so long to resolve the issue. Although I didn't see them come back to school to retrieve their bodies, I knew that they were alright. Their reiatsu still flickered—it took me a while to even recall that they _had _that.

Seating myself down on a bench that was located across a small water fountain that sat in the middle of the garden, I sprawled my legs out in front of me and ran a hand through my hair in frustration. I felt like I was missing something that I _knew_, but I didn't know what it was. I wracked my memory for that piece, but I couldn't find it. It was an incredibly exasperating thing that had me nearly ripping my hair out.

I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I didn't realize unnatural sounds were getting louder and louder until they were almost roaring in my ears. Immediately, my body stiffened, surprise shooting through my system, before I jumped off the bench and whirled around, eyes wide.

There were six of them. Six inhumane masked creatures lined up right there, in the middle of my family garden, looking like they were going to pounce on me at any moment. I felt my heart thud louder, harder in my chest. I was frozen in my spot, only able to stare wide-eyed at them as I tried to comprehend it.  
><em><br>Hollows. _Here? My first thought was to try and punch them, but I knew that no matter what I did, I wouldn't be able to do any harm to them. I'd probably get eaten alive instead. My onyx orbs flitted from one to another—two of them looked like oversized hunchback humans while two others looked like muscular wolves. One had the appearance of a snake, and the other looked more like a rat than anything else.

I didn't even think about it; as the adrenaline shot through my body, I turned and ran.

It didn't matter to me where I was going. I placed one foot in front of the other, refusing to look back because I could hear them coming after me, the sound of their drool splattering on the floor prompting me to run faster. I was running so fast that the world seemed to slide underneath me, my equilibrium being thrown off. I couldn't seem to get enough oxygen into my lungs as I skidded around a corner, nearly crashing into a household's fence.

Out of everything that I could have asked Toushirou, why didn't I ask him how to defend myself against Hollows if they ever decided to show up and eat me? _Why_? I almost wailed it aloud as I ran.

The sound of my pants seemed to be the loudest, but soon, I began to hear other things. Not the sound of their drool or of our footsteps, but of their hisses, their words. My eyes widened upon realizing that they could actually _talk_. They were broken sentences, but they were understandable.

And I wasn't going to lie; what they said both scared and confused the crap out of me.  
><em><br>"Ssstop... Need you..." _It was like a horrible sound that was a cross between a wail and a slithering hiss.  
><em><br>"Eat... No... Human!" _  
><em><br>"Girl, must... Do not run... We shall take you!" _

"Shit," I swore under my breath, eyes widened to the point where I was sure that they would pop out soon. Even though it seemed nearly impossible, I pushed myself to run faster. There was absolutely _no_way that I was letting them get their hands on me. I would seriously fight them if that's what it came down to—admittedly, it would be totally futile, but still!

I was approaching an intersection that I planned to turn into, and just as I was about to enter into it, I crashed into something warm. Hands shot out to grip my elbows, using the momentum of our speed to whirl me around. Before I even knew what was going on, the ground disappeared from underneath me for a few seconds. The wind was completely knocked out of me, the sensation of being carried in a flash-step indescribable. I was breathing hard when Toushirou set me back down onto something solid, which turned out to be the rooftop of an unknown person's house.

Without another word, he flash-stepped away, toward where the group of Hollows were. Placing a hand on my chest as I gasped for breath, I let myself collapse down onto the brick tiles. I leaned back on one of my palms, throwing my head back to stare up at the twinkling black blanket, struggling to breathe.

He reappeared a few moments later, not a single hair out of place. His expression was so solemn, it was almost scary.

"Thank you." I ran a hand through my disheveled hair, my breathing starting to regulate. Eyeing him carefully, I asked, "Why were they there?"

"In your household garden?" he specified cautiously, his teal eyes seeming to glow in the darkness of the night.

My stomach knotted together as I nodded my head. I already had a feeling I knew the answer, especially with what the Hollows had been saying when they chased me. Even so, I felt like I needed him to confirm it for me just to make it all the more real.

His eyes locked with mine. He looked at me like he already knew that I knew. The look on his face said that he didn't want to be the one to tell me, like he didn't want to be the one to confirm that such a thing was now reality. Reluctance and hesitance scrawled themselves all over the young Shinigami, but as the silence stretched on, he knew that I wouldn't break it.

Not beating around the bush, Toushirou stared at me with unwavering eyes that seemed to hold a veiled apology.

"They're after you, Tsubaki."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

And that concludes the sixth chapter! DUN DUN DUNNNNN! Is it getting intense? IS IT? (x

NOW YOU GUYS KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT YUZURU. And yes, it's significant. HOHOHO. Cool, yes?

Once again, I'm really sorry about the late update, and for the quick pace of the chapter! I usually like to write things out in more detail and all, but clearly... -sighs- I'd redo it all, but ;_; This is where my lack of time and laziness comes in. I promise that the next chapter will be better, though! SERIOUSLY!

And once again... In character? WHAT'S IN CHARACTER? -FLIPS TABLES- ASDFGHJKL. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO WRITE ABOUT TOUSHIROU? I cry rivers.

As always, I apologize for any spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and OOCness that may have occurred in this chapter! ( Damn, there's probably a lot of that stuff. )

ENDLESS LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**JammerToTheRescue, ivyslade, pixiedustchoco, Snowlily246, Mai, xXMizukiXx, NightDreamer567, The Suburban Coyote, Imaginary Owls, SapphireIce86, and StarTrail**

THANK YOU GUYSSS! You have guys don't have ANY idea how much your reviews mean to me. They're honestly what keeps me writing this fanfic, so thank you a million times!

Also, I'd like to thank everyone who alerted or favourited! You guys are pretty awesome, too. HAHA.

RESPONSE TIME?

To **ivyslade**;

MMNURGH, I KNOWWWWW. I seriously need to update more often, but... When it comes to my fanfics, I usually write the next chapter for the story that has the highest demand first. An S, out of all my stories, is the one that's least popular. -CRIES- I KNOW, I'M TERRIBLE. I'M SORRY. ASDFGHJKL. BUT! I finally updated, so. YAY. (x  
>LMAO. I'm glad that you like her so much. I like her quite a bit, too. She's fun to write about. That sasssss!<br>Yuzuru's too straightforward and uncaring to find a less asshole-ish way to get her answers. A LOT of stuff will be revealed later on, and things that don't make sense now will probably be cleared up in future chapters. I HOPE THAT YOU'RE STILL WITH ME THEN... AND NOW. LOL. -DIES-  
>IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT TA-DAAA! Thank you for your awesomesauce review and encouragement! I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter (:<p>

To **pixiedustchoco**;

The BEST ToushirouxOC fanfic that you've ever read? LOL. OTL. THAT'S TOO BIG OF A PRAISE FOR ME. ASDFGHJKL. But holy crap, you have no idea how flattered I am that you'd think so. I honestly don't think it's the best, since there are so many wonderful writers in the fandom and on the site, but thank you, thank you, thank you! (x I'm touched beyond comprehension. xD  
>I'm glad that you think I'm getting the characters down right! And LOOOL, WOULD SHE BE? I thought that she'd be more in-line because they're in the human world and she's got stuff to do. Maybe it's just me. ;O Thank you for your input! I'll definitely keep that in mind (x<br>I hope to hear from you again! Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me your thoughts; I hope that this chapter was at least halfway decent to you! (:

To **Mai**;

Aww, thank you! I'm glad that you're happy I take things slowly; I know that sometimes people hate it. Maybe it's because some people think I take it TOO slow, but still! HAHA.  
>I'm glad that you like Yuzuru! I like her quite a bit as well because she's so fun to write about. And ahh, well... That was revealed in this chapter. BUT. There are so many questions and so many answers left untold, so I hope that you stick with me and find out those answers! (x<br>Thank goodness you think that they're in character! TOUSHIROU AND RANGIKU ARE SO HARD TO WRITE ABOUT. ASDGGJLK. Actually, I think that EVERY SINGLE BLEACH CHARACTER is hard to keep in character, but maybe that's just me. I'm glad you think I'm doing it correctly, though!  
>Thank you so much for your support and input; I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter! (x<p>

To **xXMizukiXx**;

That's so relieving to know! And LOOOOOL. You mean, you want it to be an official one? 'Cause that would be some crazy insane stuff that I would cry over for my entire life. HAHA.  
>YES. Cliffies are fun. Really fun. Unless you're the reader; then it's just like, "-FLIPS TABLES- NEXT CHAPTER, NOWWW!"<br>Toushirou is amazing. LOL. I used to love him to bits; I still do, but I fell in love with so many Bleach characters, it's not even funny. Nonetheless, I still find him beyond adorable. (x  
>AWW, thank you so much! You have no idea how much your faithful support and encouragement means to me, xXMizukiXx; I always look forward to hearing from you! So thank you for always taking the time to read my work and tell me your thoughts. I hope that this chapter was enjoyable! (x<p>

To **NightDreamer567**;

ASDFGHJKL, I'M SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WAIT SO LONG. LOL. I finally updated again, so I hope that you're happy! (x And, y'know, still reading my stuff. LOL.  
>Her reason for knowing the terms is sorta kinda revealed in this chapter. There are lots of unanswered questions and untold solutions, so I hope that you stick with me to figure all of that out!<br>Thank you so much for sharing with me your thoughts and for your encouragement! I hope that you liked the latest chapterrrr!

To **StarTrail**;

Well, I'm so glad that you like her! She's a fun character to write about. (x  
>ISN'T HE? ISN'T HEEEEE? ARGH. I feel like all characters in Bleach are hard to write about. Maybe it's just me, though. -sighs-<br>I FINALLY UPDATED! YAYYYY! I'm glad that you love my story! HAHA. And Jay reminds you of Shinji? REALLY? I don't see it... xD And I love how you think Yuzuru is an amazing character. It makes me happy that you think so!  
>Actually, Toushirou and Rangiku ARE aware of her family background and all. They just, y'know, don't care. LOL.<br>This story takes place BEFORE the Winter War, definitely. Sorry that I didn't mention it earlier! X.x  
>Thank you so much for taking the time to review and read my work! I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter~ (x<p>

END OF RESPONSES!

Phew. Long, long paragraphs. But you guys give me such amazing reviews, it's a must. HAHA.

Love it? Like it? Hate it? _Please share your thoughts with me! _I'd definitely love to hear from you, and I swear that I don't bite. xP

**Please drop me a review! It'd be appreciated and you'll be an awesome cookie. ;O**

Until next time!

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	7. Kept in Prison

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Bleach or any of the characters or the plot. All rights go to Kubo Tite.**

**A/N:**

So... IT'S BEEN A WHILE. I wanted to update in December, like for Christmas or maybe Toushirou's birthday, but... It didn't work out. -SHOT- To be honest, I don't even know why. I had break in December, but I felt like it didn't even exist.

It had come and gone within the blink of an eye. ASDFGHJKL.

School's kicking my ass. Like usual. And I am crying in math class. Like always.

But I wanted to apologize; I honestly DO want to update this story more often! I'm hoping that with the new year, I'll be able to write more and get myself to update more frequently rather than, like, once every two months. OTL.

On the other hand, I'm updating today because today is FEATHERS' _one-year anniversary!_ YAAAAAY! -throws confetti everywhere- It honestly doesn't feel like it's been a year since I've been updating so slowly, but it HAS. And I can't even believe it. HAHA.

Thank you to anyone who's still sticking with me through my... more than slow... updates. OTL. I honestly appreciate it! I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm still alive and breathing and that I WON'T be abandoning this story! I know that people are still reading it and waiting for me to update, so I'm going to try and not let you guys down. (x

Honestly, thanks for all the support. (:

On the other hand, happy late, LATTTTEEE holidays! And happy belated new year! Has the new year been treating you guys right? (x

* * *

><p><span> FEATHERS<span>

**CHAPTER SEVEN;**

_"Kept in Prison"_

* * *

><p>Eyes closed, I exhaled. It came out as a soundless breath of air, but the moment it left me, it seemed to crush me. Even though I had already suspected I was being targeted—as if having them show up in my household garden chasing after me wasn't the biggest hint of my entire life—and albeit I had always been a goal for mafia gangs to capture, fear that I had never felt before hit me in the chest.<p>

Cold. Paralyzing, glacial, flawless coldness. I felt it slam into my heart, making it pound painfully. I could hear the blood racing through my ears, and shards of despair seemed to run along with it. Ruthless fear seemed to open up a hole in my stomach—one that sunk into unfathomable depths. I felt like I was pulled into it.

I had never seemed so scared before.

And for some reason, I didn't understand _why _I was so afraid.

Black dotted my vision, and things began to haze. The world seemed to slide under my feet for a moment, tossing me around, ruining the images that I knew were supposed to be there but had suddenly disappeared. I felt like I saw things crumbling around me, but when I blinked hard in an attempt clear my vision, everything returned back to normal.

Toushirou looked at me solemnly, the same vague apology hidden in his eyes. He had folded his arms over his stomach, his hands disappearing into the long sleeves of his Shinigami robes. He didn't say anything. All he did was scrutinize me carefully, like he was expecting me to cry, to scream, to run away.

I wanted to snort.

"Okay, they're after me. _Fantastic_." The sarcasm that dripped from my voice lost a bit of effect because of the way it came out—slightly choked, like I was forcing it out through my teeth, and a bit shaky. Inhaling sharply again, I pushed myself up onto my feet and began to wipe at the dirt on my clothes, clenching my teeth and biting my tongue. I felt my features contorting themselves into a scowl.

"Tsubaki." Even though his voice was naturally quiet, it seemed much too loud in the silence of the night. "If you're scared, it's okay to be. It's not a crime for you to be afraid."

Immediately, I snapped my head up to meet his gaze. He looked at me with a serious expression on his face. Traces of empathy and compassion seemed to stain his features, but there was no pity, there was no "I feel sorry for her" message written anywhere in his eyes or on his face. He merely looked at me like he was waiting for me to break, waiting to help me get over an apparent shock of being the Hollows' primary objective.

Instead, a scoff left my lips. "You're kidding me. I'm not scared of Hollows being after me. It's odd that they hadn't tried getting me in packs since the beginning, since they're supposed to be attracted to people with higher spiritual levels, aren't they?" I walked over to the edge of the roof carefully, frowning as I did so. This was one of those fancy three-level houses.

"You've lost all the colour in your face," he pointed out matter-of-factly. I hated it. If only he was mocking me, because then at least I could retaliate with anger.

Whirling around, faintly irritated, I narrowed my eyes at the calm Shinigami in front of me. "What do you _want _me to say? That I'm terrified out of my mind because Hollows are going to be appearing more often? That I don't want to die and therefore I need you to protect me like I'm some kind of damsel in distress? I'm not scared of Hollows." My hands grabbed fistfuls of the material that was my pajamas.

I wasn't scared of being the aim for Hollows, but I _was _scared of something. It bothered me to no end that I didn't know what it was. Such acute senses of sorrow, despair, terror—what was the cause of it? I hated how I didn't have the faintest clue, no matter how desperately I tried to find out.

My mind and my heart were being checked. I was running through the memories stored in my mind, analyzing the emotions I had felt at that time. And I couldn't place a single finger on what was wrong, why I was so scared. If it wasn't because of the Hollows that were after me, then what could possibly make me feel so utterly vulnerable and hopeless? Why did it feel so familiar, so recognizable?

"There's a difference between bravery and idiocy." Despite the fact that his eyes were hidden under half lids, they still seemed so bright and so piercing. The way he looked at me seemed to show he was unconvinced about what I said, the tone in his voice almost cold. I felt like he was trying to convey something to me, but it wasn't like he sent out invisible words into the air in front of my face and I had some kind of magical eyes that would let me read the message.

"It's neither bravery nor idiocy," I retorted. I folded my arms across my chest, partially because I was cold, but mainly because I was looking at him in such a defiant way. "It's called acceptance. There's no reason for me to be afraid of them."

I could almost see his eyebrow twitching. "Tsubaki, you seem to forget the fact that they're more than capable of killing you within a mere blink of your eyes."

"And I seem to recall telling you that being killed by Hollows isn't all that different from being killed with guys in suits carrying guns," I reminded him flatly. Inclining my head toward the edge of the roof, I commented dryly, "Will you be helping me get down from here or will I need to break my legs trying to?"

His eyebrow twitched again. Toushirou's lips thinned for a moment, and he closed his eyes when he let out a sigh. Moving toward me, he muttered under his breath, "What a difficult, annoying girl."

"You're not a ball of sunshine either," I retorted. I was about to make another snarky comment directed at him, but then I recalled something. My heart almost stopped in my chest for a moment, because how could I even _forget_? "What about my parents? Are they going to be okay? _Are _they okay?"

Toushirou placed his hands on my bent elbows. He didn't say anything as he gripped them firmly yet gently and then jumped off of the building. The landing was silent and soft, not at all anything like it would've been if a human had done it. It had been over so fast that I hadn't had any time to even try and capture the experience—I just felt lots of wind, and then we had already touched the floor.

Making sure I was steady before releasing me, he took a few steps back to look at me with a calculative glint in his eyes.

I scowled at him again. He hadn't answered my question. "Toushirou, I swear that if you don't tell me they're okay, I'll—"

"They're unharmed," he interrupted me. Seeing the dubious look on my face, he remarked, "You can check if you want to. The Hollows aren't after your parents, they're after _you_."

Unless Toushirou was an idiot—and I was pretty sure he wasn't, considering he was a Captain at such a young age—then he knew just as well as I did that it wasn't that simple. "Being the daughter of a mafia boss has taught me a lot of things, and one of them is that it doesn't matter who they need use in order to get what they want. You should know just as well as I do that Hollows wouldn't hesitate going after my family in order to persuade me to hand myself over."

"Matsumoto or I will be patrolling around. One of us will be guarding your place. Your parents aren't in any immediate danger, but the problem is how we're going to deal with _you_." He tilted his head slightly in the direction from where I had come, turning that way. His haori billowed out from behind him as he walked, saying, "Let's go. I'll take you back."

For a moment, I merely stared at the back of his head as his silent footsteps ghosted over the cement pavement. My eyes took in his back, his shoulders, his posture. Although Toushirou was small and he didn't look anything like someone who belonged in high school, he eluded an aura that made people forget about things like that. I didn't know whether I envied him for it, or if I held a glimmer of admiration toward him for being able to carry himself in such a soothingly confident way.

Shaking my head a bit to get rid of those thoughts, I put one foot in front of the other, jogging to catch up with his swift strides. When I managed to fall into step with him, I stared straight ahead as I asked monotonously, "Why are they after me?"

At the abrupt question, he slanted his eyes towards me for a brief moment before they darted back to look in front of him. "Who knows?"

"What do you mean by that? Are you actually uncertain of the reason or are you just trying to piss me off?" Irritation lined my words heavily, the scowl heard in my voice matching the one on my face. I seemed to scowl too much within Toushirou's presence. It was as if he always managed to say the right things to annoy me. The ambiguous answers he was giving me were infuriating.

"This isn't something you should be butting your head into," he told me.

"Don't joke with me." My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and my eyes glared at the vacant space in front of me. It was dark, the buildings sleeping soundly with night as a blanket. The occasional streetlamp set at constant intervals acted as soldiers fighting a battle that they held their own in. "I'm already part of this whether I want to be or not. You might as well make both our lives easier and fill me in on everything."

His eyes were closed as he commented, "Do you have a death wish?"

"No." But for some reason, it sounded so empty as it escaped my mouth and fell from my lips. I felt his gaze burn into the side of my face now, but I didn't look at him as I continued, "But I _will _be dead if we don't figure out what course of action to take."

Toushirou didn't press me on it. He didn't ask me why I sounded like I was lying, or why I didn't sound like I had a particular fire to live, either. Instead, he stared ahead and said, "There's a reason why Matsumoto and I are here. They're not going to touch you."

"Reassuring." It came out half mocking, but almost half sincere. I knew that Toushirou and Rangiku would be doing whatever they could to protect my family and I, but we had no idea who the enemy was. If it were just regular Hollows, that would be nice, but we both knew it was deeper than that.

Hollows wouldn't congregate together for one person unless that person had spiritual levels off the charts, or if they were commanded to.

"I want to know why," I notified the white-haired Shinigami as we slowed to a stop in front of my house's main gates. The elegant black metal that curled and split to create an intricate design that looked refined in the daytime only managed to look menacing at night. It loomed over us like the gates of hell. One of the two had been opened wide since the Hollows had followed after me, and I didn't expect any of them to have the courtesy to close my gates as they left.

"Why they're after you?" he specified cautiously.

I gave him a look that asked him if he was a moron before glancing off to the side. There were no lights on in my house, which meant that everyone was still asleep. Standing outside at this time of night and looking in, if I had been a stranger, I wouldn't have imagined that a mafia group lived in it. I wouldn't be able to see everyone inside, sleeping peacefully and yet not, because they had no idea when their lives would be in danger. Because their lives _were _always in danger.

Somehow, looking at the dark house, it seemed so lonely.

Dragging my eyes away, I pinned my gaze back on Toushirou. "There's a reason why they want me. It's not as if they'd all come together just because they wanted one girl that never existed to them until now. It's not normal. I want to know why they want me. I want to know why they were desperately chasing after me, telling me they needed me."

I wouldn't be able to forget it. At that time, when I had been running, I hadn't felt anything but the adrenaline in my veins urging me to run because it was dangerous. I had been panicking on the inside. Everything and anything they said sounded dreadful and threatening in my ears, and it wasn't as if I was naive enough to believe that they weren't. But while I had been running, I hadn't been able to pick up on the underlying tones in their distorted voices.

I hadn't been able to hear their desperation or their sorrow.

All Hollows I had encountered before, whether I had been in the area as they attacked someone else or I had been watching from afar—none of them seemed to hold this sort of desperation. They all wanted someone to save them; they all wanted to be freed from their remorse and their resentment or anger.

They wanted someone, _anyone_.

But these Hollows wanted _me_.

Toushirou was quiet for a moment, like he was thinking it through. Then he opened his mouth and asked me, "Even if you knew, what could you do?" He didn't say it cruelly, mockingly, or in a way that patronized me. He said it in a neutral way, like he was fine with whether I responded or not.

"Help you plan and analyze," I answered in a civil tone. Although he could have phrased his words better, the fact that he hadn't asked me aggressively made me feel like I should also respond in a nicer way.

The teal-eyed Captain regarded me silently for a moment. I could see the gears in his mind working, grinding rapidly as he tried to weigh the pros and cons of involving me in this whole thing.

Just for an extra push, I commented, "And don't forget that I'm perfectly capable of trying to determine any possible routes that you'd handle the situation with even _if _you didn't include me in on it."

"I'm aware," he replied dryly. He inhaled, held it for a second, then sighed. With his lips quirked downwards, he said, "We'll fill you in tomorrow after school."

Even though I had been expecting that answer, I still felt a bit of relief washing through me. It wasn't as if I had been bluffing about figuring out all the possible directions they would take and how to react appropriately to all of them, but that was much more of a hassle. Not only would I have to try and predict the Shinigami's moves, but also the Hollows', too. It would take too much time, and I hated knowing that half of that time could be spent on other things.

Things like art.

My finger almost twitched with the desire to pick up some kind of utensil and start creating something that could rival the unique beauty that Toushirou carried. I wanted to make a piece of art that had an even more wonderful shade of colour, a piece of art that had an even more charismatic presence that made you turn and stare.

It irritated me to know that Toushirou was the one who was inspiring me—that he was the embodiment of what I wished my works would be like if I could cast a spell on them and bring them to life.

"We're supposed to be starting the preparations for the school festival. Omoto-sensei said something about creating the signs or decorations." I shrugged a shoulder, since I hadn't been listening in the first place. The words his voice droned on and on about just entered in through one ear and left through the other without a hitch.

Already half-turned, he slanted me a glance out of his peripheral vision. "And?" Before I could say anything, he said, "Decide on your priorities. We'll be on the rooftop." Then he turned around and flash-stepped away in a blur of colour.

"That little—" I stopped myself, my lips pursing. I stood outside for a moment longer, glowering at the vacant space he had just occupied a second ago, before whirling around and heading back inside.

He was telling me to decide on my _priorities? _I could almost hear the challenge in his voice, and the doubt. Like he thought that I was going to bail out on it because I felt like I had to be responsible as a class representative.

If he _actually _thought that, he was an idiot.

In the first place, the only reason I wanted to be the class rep was because _he _was the other one, and I wanted answers from him. I hadn't been volunteering because I thought it would be a wonderful and marvelous opportunity to engage in social gatherings with my peers or anything like that. If I wanted to make friends, I would've already tried to. There was no reason for me to put more work on myself just to create some stupid pretense in order to speak with others.

Besides, it wasn't as if the class needed anyone to _lead _them, anyways. They weren't children anymore. As high school students, I didn't doubt that there would be a lot of slacking and a lot of goofing off, but it wasn't like I would get all up in their business and demand them to stop even if I stayed. I didn't see a reason to. As long as we finished everything before the deadline, I didn't care if they had their fun, and it wasn't as if they needed someone telling them exactly what they needed to do.

My priorities had never been shaken in the first place.

Grimacing as I walked briskly but silently through the large hallways of the household, I turned the corner and opened up the door to my art room. I flicked on the lights as I entered, immediately heading off to grab a new canvas from the walk-in closet.

I wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

* * *

><p>"E-Excuse me, Tsubaki-san." Her voice shook, and when I turned to look at her, she flinched almost immediately. I tried hard to keep my expression as neutral as possible, even though a part of me wanted to try and give her some kind of reassuring, friendly look while another part of me threatened to grimace. She was a girl in my class that I had never spoken a single word to or even made eye contact with.<p>

"What do you—yes?" I rephrased halfway through, resisting the urge to sigh. It almost slipped through my mouth before I even realized it—censoring my thoughts before they escaped my lips was a difficult task.

Even though she towered over me—which wasn't an impressive feat considering I was even shorter than Toushirou, and he was practically an elementary-school student—she still looked so scared of me, like she thought I could reach out and snap her in half. Which may or may not be true, but it wasn't as if I could strangle her in the middle of the bustling classroom. Her reaction was so common that I had already gotten used to the look that was in her eyes.

"I'm—I'm _s-so _sorry to bother you," she stammered, sounding like she was about to burst into tears. I had to hold back a groan of frustration. "It's just—w-we can't find the... the, um, the list of m-materials for shopping."

Was she worried that I would yell at her? Was _that _why she was so afraid? Or was she simply just terrified of me in general? Maybe it was a mixture of both, with the way her entire body was shaking. I saw her swallowing too often, and she blinked a lot, her eyes darting around to rest on anything aside from my face.

Glancing around, I spotted a small pile of blank white paper on a desk. It was supposed to be used to make small flyers to hand out in order to advertise during the festival, but it wasn't like anyone would notice if one sheet was missing. It wasn't that big of a deal, anyway.

Walking over to it, I picked up a colouring marker I selected at random and began rewriting the list, putting down exact amounts and measurements. She had followed me tentatively, standing a few feet behind me and shifting a lot. When I finished, I turned around and held it out to her.

She recoiled, thinking I was going to hit her.

It made me snap. "Listen. If I was going to murder you or something, I wouldn't be doing it front of everybody. If I learned anything from being a mafia boss' daughter, it's how to kill in discreet ways. But _of course _every single mafia organization is horrible and everyone in the group is a killing machine that doesn't have their own circumstances, right? Everyone is _obviously_ a cold-hearted bastard if they're dragged into that sort of lifestyle. Really. Because, well, who _wouldn't _want to voluntarily join a gang and potentially get themselves killed at any moment in time, right?"

Her eyes had widened as the words escaped me, glazing over slightly and shining. I didn't feel guilty about what I had said, though. Perhaps it was a bit harsh or cruel, and it was probably unnecessary, but I honestly couldn't care less about it.

After all, the mocking tone I used couldn't be denied. If she hadn't realized I was just poking fun at her instead of threatening her, then it wasn't my problem. She needed to brush up on realizing when she was being indirectly insulted, or else she'd be the secret target in the years to come.

I stared at her for a moment, quirking an eyebrow as if I was waiting for an answer. When silence stretched on and no sound escaped her lips, I decided it would be better to put her out of her terror. I had to admit that I was a tad bit angry at her words and her actions, despite them being very standard and typical. It was agitating to have everyone judge the people I care about so easily when they knew absolutely nothing about us. They didn't know that, more than half the time, the reason people joined our gang was because they had no other choice.

Lightly, I pushed the list into her sternum, simultaneously moving her out of my way. I didn't even look at her as I headed over to the classroom door, ignoring the way my classmates' eyes burned into me, looking at me like I was a monster.

Just as I reached for the handle, the door slid open from the other side. Unfazed, I looked up to see who it was, only to nearly choke on my own spit. At the moment, it was probably the person I wanted to see the least.

Jay peered down at me, blinking curiously. He was carrying a large box full of paint bottles and utensils in it, and I had been hoping he'd be in the art room for a while longer. He would be wondering where I was going, and there was no way I was going to tell him that I was heading up to the rooftop to have a secret meeting with Toushirou and Rangiku about supernatural beings that were after me.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked good-naturedly, as if the room wasn't thick with obvious tension. His eyebrow was raised as he gazed down at me.

"I need to go get something," I lied smoothly. A small pang of guilt hit me at my words, because I was lying to _Jay_. He was always there for me, always there to support me. He was one of the people I treasured the absolute most, and yet I was lying to him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I had to remind myself that getting Jay involved in the whole Shinigami affair wasn't good for him. Not only that, but I was sure that he'd just get his memory wiped. I'd rather not make him go through all that just to forget all about it afterwards.

"I thought we had everything." There was a faint challenge in his tone, a vague doubtfulness that almost made my finger twitch in apprehension.

"The dimensions of the welcoming sign are off," I made up. I stepped aside to let him pass so that he was no longer in my way, but he didn't. Grimacing, I suggested, "Want to get your ass into the classroom so I can go?"

Anyone with eyes could tell that the fauxhawk-haired male didn't buy my lie for a second. "If you wait a second, I'll tag along."

"No thanks," I deadpanned. I stared up at him defiantly, like I was daring him to call me out on my bluff. Just like how he had tested me on whether or not I'd continue my pretense, I was challenging him to keep pressing me on it—and I was sure that Jay would not rise up to that, because he was the kind of person who never pushed too hard, never intruded in on anything that I didn't want him to know. He was the type to give you your space and wait until you were ready to tell him, no matter how curious he was.

And I was right, because he ended up looking away from me and entering the classroom, unblocking the exit. "If you're not back in half an hour, I'm going to come looking for you."

"Mm," was my noncommittal response. I slanted a glance at him as we passed one another, and from my peripheral vision, I could've sworn that his lips were tilted upwards in a barely concealed smile that confused me.

Was something amusing to him?

But instead of asking, I just continued on my way. The hallways were busy and full of people as they prepared. Shouts, laughter, chattering, squeals, insults, banging, crashing, thudding—so many sounds blended together into one thing as I made my way over to the nearest staircase that would take me all the way up to the top floor. Snippets of conversation flowed into my ears as I got closer to people—since it was so busy and I was small, it was easy to be missed by people even _if _I had unnatural hair—but none of them were very interesting.

It was quiet when I started walking up the staircase, and it remained that way until I pushed open the door that led to the rooftop. Immediately, I heard Rangiku's voice chiming in the open, desolate area before I saw her.

"You need to give her more credit, Taichou!" Hands on her hips, the busty strawberry-blonde woman frowned down at the white-haired male who leaned against the fencing around the edge, hands in pockets and eyes closed.

"She's the type to not listen to instructions," Toushirou said, sounding slightly weary. "Being impulsive and reckless could ruin everything."

"Well, I'm sorry that I'm not a mindless doll that will do everything you say," I interrupted their conversation, the door slamming shut behind me with a big more force that necessary. When they looked at me, I merely folded my arms across my chest and commented, "You can't expect me to go along with whatever you say even if I think it's stupid."

Rangiku glanced between Toushirou and I, biting down on her lower lip. The heaviness in the atmosphere seemed to bother her slightly, and she spoke before Toushirou could come up with a response. Moving toward me, she smiled brightly and said, "I'm so glad that we'll be working together now, Yuzuru-chan! Pretending to be a normal high school student around you was so _difficult_!"

I wanted to tell her that I had never really even seen her as a mundane high school girl since the moment I laid my eyes on her, but I decided I'd spare her from my thoughts. I settled with a simple and brief, "Acting is neither one of your fortes."

"You think so?" Rangiku's lips pulled into a small pout, and she said, "I thought that I was pretty good at it. All of our classmates seemed to—"

"We're not here to discuss whether or not you believed us to be high school students or not," Toushirou cut Rangiku off, irritation mildly decorating his tone.

"Right," I agreed. Pinning my eyes on him, I remarked, "You said you'd fill me in on everything. I have thirty minutes before Jay starts storming the place wondering if I've gotten kidnapped or beaten up." I paused for a second before looking at Rangiku and saying, "I'm sure that he's told you about me already."

Nodding her head, the bright yet gentle smile that graced her features was lovely. "Yes! I think that it's great how you'll be helping us."

"Aren't _you_ two the ones who are helping _me_?" I stared at her for a moment before shaking my head the nanosecond she opened her mouth. It would only create some kind of argument if Rangiku was one of those people that were overly humble, and I hated those conversations. "Forget I said that."

She blinked her blue-grey eyes at me for a moment before deciding to let it slide. Instead, she brought us back onto topic by saying, "From what Taichou has told me, you're already quite familiar with everything, right, Yuzuru-chan?"

"You could say that," I answered slowly, shrugging a bit. "I don't know why they're after me, though. Do you guys have any idea?"

I had to admit that I was half-expecting them to launch into their theories, to bombard me with their thoughts and speculations or their facts. I didn't know what possessed me to believe that they already had an idea, which was why I was temporarily stunned when Toushirou opened his mouth and said the most obvious thing in the world.

"They want something from you."

"I could've figured that out all on my own." I pressed my lips together and urged, "I was hoping you would tell me something, let's say, that I _didn't _know."

Shaking her head regretfully, Rangiku's expression and tone were apologetic as she said, "Neither one of us have an idea of why they want you. Our Captain Commander didn't get into specifics either, and our mission is to keep you safe and to eliminate our enemy."

Incredulity painted my voice as I asked, "Your Captain Commander sent you guys here without even giving you proper information? Are you both idiots?" If I were them, I would've requested for the entire scoop before I got my ass down from Soul Society to earth, _especially _when it was clear he knew something that he wasn't sharing.

And from the way Rangiku put it, it was manifest that he did.

Gravely, Toushirou's eyes were piercing as they met mine. "We have no right to question the Commander."

"The hell you don't!" I exclaimed. I never expected Toushirou to be the type to see it in such a way, but I wanted to slap myself for it, because _of course he did. _He seemed to be the type who lived life following the rules, the kind of person who liked order and believed in listening and respecting his elders or superiors' words. "When he's asking you to risk your life for something, I think that you have the right to ask him for any helpful information that might make it easier for you to live."

Aggravation lay blatantly in the male's voice as he retorted, "We knew we'd be risking our lives every second of the day the moment we entered the Shinigami Academy with the desire to enter the Gotei 13. We don't need to be reminded of that by you."

"And you _still_ didn't ask him for the info?" I stared at Toushirou like he was made out of toothpicks and had eighteen legs. "If what he holds is crucial information and you just _let it slide _like that, then—"

Attempting to keep the peace and stifle an argument before it rose to something more, Rangiku interrupted gently, but firmly, "I don't think that the Commander would do something like that. When he was notifying Taichou and I on the mission, he seemed to be quite affected."

"Maybe that's because he was keeping something from you two," came my dry, bitter response.

Shaking her head, Rangiku said, "I don't think that's the reason. Maybe I was just looking too much into it, but he seemed different than usual. He seemed more..." she struggled to find a word, "_melancholic_."

"If he deemed it as anything significant," Toushirou flicked a glance at his lieutenant, but otherwise didn't acknowledge what she said, "then he would have said something. If he knew who the enemy was or why they wanted you, the Captain Commander would've told us and we wouldn't be here speculating about it."

I wanted to ask him how he could have so much trust in the Commander. I wanted to inquire about how he was so confident that the older man wasn't lying to him. Because surely Toushirou knew that blindly trusting someone was naive—did that mean the Commander had, from one reason or another, gained the white-haired Shinigami's unwavering faith?

I just couldn't understand it.

Trusting someone so sincerely was a horrible idea. People lied all the time, putting up false facades with horrible intentions. People were manipulative and deceitful, full of bullshit and their own desires and selfishness. It was rare to find people who didn't only think of themselves, who _actually _cared about others around them. Those kinds of people were one in a million, if even that. If you asked me, I would say that it was foolish to trust anyone so completely like the way Toushirou and Rangiku were.

After all, weren't their lives on the line? Wouldn't they want to gain any sort of advantage they could in terms of their survival possibility? They could have no absolute way of knowing that the Captain Commander wasn't withholding vital information—all they could do was _believe _that he wasn't.

Something like that confused, exasperated, and intrigued me all at once.

"There has to be something special about you, Yuzuru-chan." Rangiku's voice was solemn, but then she let out a small laugh to ease the stiffness in the air as she admitted, "But we can't figure out what it is. To us, you seem like a rather normal girl! I mean, you should love going shopping more and smile a lot more, but other than that, we can't see what about you would possibly pinpoint you as a target."

"That's absolutely wonderful." The sarcasm in my voice wasn't veiled. I grimaced, because I wasn't sure whether she insulted me or not. Did I want to be viewed as a normal high school girl, or would I rather have her see me as something else that wasn't as mundane? If I had to be honest, I didn't know.

"The reason why they want you doesn't change the fact that they're starting to take action," Toushirou stated. "There are numerous possibilities as to who the Hollows are listening to."

Rangiku made a soft humming noise. "It seems unlikely that an Adjucha could control Hollows so well."

"I wouldn't cross it out as a possibility," Toushirou retorted.

"Does a..." Rangiku paused for a moment before continuing hesitantly, slightly more quietly, "Vasto Lorde seem likely?"

If I hadn't been watching Toushirou so closely, I might have missed the way his frame tensed and the way his eyes sharpened. "I doubt that Aizen would let a Vasto Lorde out of Hueco Mundo during this time."  
><em><br>Aizen_?

Solemnity and horror intermingled on the tall lieutenant's face as she stared at Toushirou with slightly widened eyes. "Taichou, what if he's the one who wants Yuzuru-chan?" I didn't like the way she said it. I didn't like how it sounded so heavy and verging on hopelessness. The moment the name "Aizen" escaped Toushirou's lips, it was like the air was being pressed down by an invisible force.

This time, the white-haired Captain didn't say a word.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I blurted out, "Who's Aizen?"

I had expected Rangiku to answer, since Toushirou had injected venom into that name when he had spoken it earlier, but surprisingly, it was the teal-eyed Shinigami that replied. His eyes were narrowed as they stared at the floor. "The former Captain of the fifth squad. He betrayed Soul Society along with two other Captains. At the moment, Soul Society is gearing up for a war."

A _war_? The Gotei 13 was prepping for a war against three others that had been in the top ranks but joined with the Hollows? That sounded absolutely ridiculous, but at the same time, it seemed so likely.

This was why trusting others would be a mistake. People abandoned you, betrayed you, backstabbed you and never even gave it a second thought.

The Gotei 13 surely took a big blow from having three Captains gone, and if they were to join with the Hollows—from the way I saw it, the situation wasn't looking good for Soul Society. I didn't doubt that the Captains and their squads were powerful and able to take on a few Hollows, but I wondered just how many Hollows there were, how many Arrancar, how many Adjuchas, how many Vasto Lordes.

The numbers that popped up into my mind seemed to say that the advantage of numbers tipped over onto Aizen's side.

Immediately, I frowned. "If Soul Society and the Gotei 13 are preparing for a war, wouldn't it be in their best interest to have you two there helping out?"

"But protecting you is important too, Yuzuru-chan," Rangiku reminded me. She winked at me and smiled, but it seemed a tiny bit forced. "Soul Society is tough. And it's not as if we can just ignore our Shinigami duties just because Aizen might launch an attack. It's not how the Gotei 13 is run."

"That's ridiculous," I told them, frowning. "Soul Society will need all the help that they can get if Aizen truly decides to start a war." I folded my arms across my chest. The image of a carrot-haired Shinigami popped into my mind, and I asked, "Did you guys ask Kurosaki and his gang to lend their powers for this? Because from what I can tell, you guys are going to be in for a long, hard battle unless you have more help."

Toushirou's lips slanted downwards heavily. "Kurosaki and his friends have been informed of the situation. Whether they decide to participate is up to them. Soul Society will not force any of them to fight alongside us if they're unwilling. No matter how strong they are, Kurosaki especially, they're still human. They have the right to decline our inquiry for assistance."

My eyes narrowed into a glower at him. "You _know_ that he won't be able to say no when he finds out that the entire _Soul Society_ might fall apart. Everyone in the Gotei 13 should already know that he _doesn't_ have a choice, that he _can't _decide to not participate. You asked him because you guys are cornered, and therefore he's cornered, too. He's not the kind of person who'll sit back and just watch as his friends die off."

It took a moment for Toushirou to respond, but when he did, he agreed quietly, "You're right." Then he closed his eyes and let out a barely audible sigh. He clearly had more to say, so I merely waited him out, clenching my teeth together. When he opened his eyes again, they remained half-lidded, but they were sharper than before. "But that is a characteristic that is innate in Kurosaki. It's what decides his choices for him. We're not the ones who told him he can't abandon us when we need help from him. His personality is what drives his choices, and we didn't mold him for seventeen years. He grew up into who is he now, and if the person he is now is the kind that can't leave us, then there's nothing we can do."

"What's with that?" Incredulity and frustration embroidered my voice. I stared at the white-haired Captain in front of me in disbelief, a ton of emotions rampaging throughout my system and none of them were positive. I felt so angry, so horrified, so _oppressed_, even though I wasn't the one who was being pushed into a war I couldn't say no to. A part of me agreed with Toushirou—a large part of me, actually—since it made sense. It wasn't as if they created Ichigo and therefore made it so that he wasn't a heartless bastard, since he had to be brought up in a way that turned him into who he was now.

But he was _sixteen. _He was the same age I was and in his second year of high school. He still had so many years ahead of him, so many things that he hadn't experienced yet as a human. There were a million things that he could—

Wait.

My face contorted at my thoughts. Something wasn't right. If Kurosaki Ichigo was sixteen and in his second year of high school, which he should be, then why were Jay and I in freshman year? Why were we one grade behind everyone else? Why weren't we with everyone else our age, because I was sure that I had attended school at the same time as everyone else.

Furrowing my eyebrows together, my frown turned into a tight scowl as I tried to figure out what had gone wrong in our childhood. Surely there was no way that Jay and I had failed a grade or gotten held back a year—we got into fights often, but we never got into ones that were bad enough for us to get expelled or anything of that sort. I couldn't remember a single thing that would have altered our grade from its supposed one.

So what the hell happened?

A throbbing sensation had grown at the back of my head, but the more I tried to think about what had happened in the past, the more it began to ache. Within seconds, it developed into this bursting pain that made me feel like a jackhammer was being slammed into my skull repeatedly. My vision began to blur from my vertigo, and I began to see doubles—I tried to steady myself, because I felt like the world was sliding under my feet, but it was hard to concentrate on anything when my head felt like it was going to burst. In the corners of my eyes, I felt like I saw the cement pavement cracking open, but I knew in my mind that it wasn't possible.

"Yuzuru-chan?" Rangiku's worried voice reached my ears in a buzz. She let out a small noise of surprise when I lost my footing and stumbled into her. I felt like I was standing sideways, like the ground was moving and I couldn't help but move with it. "What's wrong? Are you feel sick?"

"I'm fine," I spat through gritted teeth, my words curt and sharp. I said them in such a way because I was sure that if I opened my mouth any wider than necessary, I would end up screaming. I felt like someone was tearing my skull open and then stabbing my brain repeatedly. I found my hands coming up to press against the sides of my head, the pads of my fingers digging into my scalp.

"Is it your head?" Toushirou asked slowly, a note in his voice that I couldn't decipher. To be fair though, it wasn't as if I could focus that much on trying to understand him when I felt like my brain was about to explode.

"No, it's my heart," I forced out, the sarcasm diluted by the way it sounded so strained and choked. I blinked hard, trying to get my act together. I bit down on my tongue so hard that I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, and I endeavoured to clear my mind. I tried to wipe all thoughts out, no matter what they were. It didn't matter if it was something about an art project or what would be for dinner or about the past—I just desperately tried to white-out everything.

The scowl was in Toushirou's voice, but I wasn't looking or focusing on him. "Tsubaki."

"Can't you just _wait_?" I demanded from him, continuing to discard my thoughts. Or maybe the word "discarding" was incorrect—it was more like I was just shoving everything into a box and then trying to crush the box or make it disappear. I never really _threw away _my thoughts or forgot about them, but over the years, I had gained the ability to hide them so that they were buried under layers or everything else, or I could push my thoughts into the very backs of my mind, leaving them untouched until I deliberately searched for them.

I felt like I was some kind of computerized machine, able to sort out my thoughts like that.

It took a while, but eventually my brain seemed to stop its painful pulsing. I had to shut my eyes and exhale. Whether it was from relief or exasperation, I had no clue. I was feeling both emotions equally—I was glad that the stupid headache or migraine or whatever the hell it was had ceased, but at the same time, I was annoyed beyond comprehension that things like that kept happening to me. A migraine like that didn't happen _often_, but it wasn't a _rare _occurrence either.

Since the ground and world had stopped flying out from under me, I managed to steady myself. Rangiku had been holding onto me, making sure I didn't fall down onto my face, and I was grateful.

"Thanks," I muttered, frowning a bit at myself. It was the first time that I had been so affected by it. Then again, all the other times had happened at home, so I merely collapsed onto a couch or a bed and waited it out.

"What _was _that?" Rangiku asked, concern coating her voice. She looked at me with her blue-grey eyes, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Are you sure you're okay now, Yuzuru-chan?"

"It was just a bad headache," I dismissed with a wave of my hand, my frown turning deeper. "I'm fine." Wanting to change the topic, I added, "Sorry. That caused a divergence away from our original topic."

Toushirou eyed me warily, his arms folded across his chest. "There's nothing more to talk about, Tsubaki. The conflict with Aizen isn't something you should be concerning yourself with, and there isn't much to say about our current situation. We'll just have to see how it plays out from now and plan appropriately in accordance."

Pressing my lips together, I narrowed my eyes at the small male. It wasn't as if he was _wrong_, but that was what irritated me. It was the fact that I _knew _I wasn't supposed to butt my head into Soul Society's business, since the chances that I could do anything to help were slim to none. And it was aggravating to know that neither one of the Shinigami had any idea why Hollows were after me, or who could potentially be the mastermind behind it all, but it wasn't as if it was their fault.

"Fine." It took so much effort to say that one word, I felt like it was worse than swallowing bricks. "But you can't disregard the fact that now we're..." I paused, struggling to find a word, "_accomplices. _That means if any information were to come up, sharing would be natural."

"Accomplices," he repeated in a mutter. He heaved a sigh, stuffing his hands into his pockets and starting to walk away. He gave me a brief glance as he notified me, "Matsumoto's going to stay with you for the day."

He didn't agree with what I had said, but I had a feeling that Toushirou knew that I'd notice. Although he didn't say it outright, somehow it still felt like he had nodded his head. Or maybe he would only share with me the information he considered relevant. Even so, I'd rather have _that _than to annoy him persistently and have him lie about agreeing.

"Where are _you_ going?" I asked him. It wasn't as if I preferred that _he _be the one to watch over me rather than Rangiku, but I couldn't help but be curious as to where he'd be off to.

He reached for the rooftop's door handle. "Around town. I'll be investigating for a while. Matsumoto, make sure you stay on guard."

"Yes. Be careful, Taichou!" Rangiku waved her hand up in farewell, smiling brightly. When I looked at her though, I could tell that although she _was _very confident in his abilities, she was still worried about him.

Without another word, Toushirou opened up the door and headed back inside the building, the door swinging shut behind him.

I stared hard at the spot where he'd just been. I felt like I should have said something like what Rangiku had—something like "take care" or "be careful." Even something like "don't do anything stupid" would've been better than remaining silent and staring at him with a scowl.

Because no matter how I looked at it, he was going through all this work for _me_. It was his duty as someone in the Gotei 13—it was his _job_, but he could always slack off at it. He could always do things half-heartedly, or not care. He didn't even have to be _nice _to me, but he was. And he didn't half-ass anything. And he was willing to satisfy my curiosity even though he probably wasn't supposed to.

It just seemed so... _discourteous _that I hadn't said anything.

Rangiku misunderstood my silent brooding. "Don't look so down, Yuzuru-chan! Taichou might act and seem like a cold bully, but he's really a softie on the inside! And although Taichou is really young and small, there's a reason why he's a Captain."

I glanced up at her. It had been a few days since I had first met the two, but I had already known that about Toushirou. "Aren't you just trying to convince yourself?"

Silence caught us for a moment, her eyes widening a fraction as they met mine. It only lasted a brief moment, because she ended up giving a small laugh, her smile sheepish. She ran a hand through her long, wavy locks and admitted, "Maybe you're right."

Looking away from her, I turned back to where he had left. I wasn't the type of person who was an expert in consolation and comforting others, so I merely stated, "He'll be fine."

A heartbeat, two, and then she agreed. "Yeah."

* * *

><p>"He's not here anymore." I blinked at the spot in front of the house, stating the obvious because the tall blond man was nowhere to be seen, but he was <em>always <em>here. He hadn't ever left the spot in front of his old home, no matter when I visited him or at what time.

But today, he wasn't here.

"I think he's finally moved on," Jay murmured, his voice gentle.

"Good," I answered. My feet carried me over to the place that he always stood, staring at now-occupied house that had been empty just a handful of days ago. "It was pathetic of him to have stayed in the human world for so long."

But even though I said this, I couldn't help but feel some sorrow and guilt. I hadn't even gotten to say a farewell to him. Chris had been a Plus for so long—he had died months ago and had gravitated over to his old house, staying here the entire time. We didn't always agree on things, but I could've called Chris a friend.

And the fact that he just _disappeared_—I hadn't even told him anything. I hadn't ever even told him that I wanted him to find happiness after he was finished with his business in the human world, or that I wanted to help him despite all the harsh words I always said.

A part of me wondered if he had honestly come to terms with what had happened, if he had truly let go. After all, there were, at the very least, four Shinigami present at Karakura Town at the moment. Had one of them found him, and then performed a Soul Burial? Had they forced him to move on when he wasn't truly ready to?

I wouldn't ever really know.

Rangiku might have an idea, but I couldn't ask her. Since I hadn't wanted to involve Jay in this, she seemed to understand that keeping a distance would be better. I could sense her presence near us, but she wasn't close enough to be seen. I hadn't ever told Toushirou and Rangiku that Jay was able to see spirits like I was, but it wasn't as if I did it on purpose. The fact hadn't crossed my mind during our conversations. Everything else had seemed so much more significant.

"Princess?" Jay's voice brought me back down to reality, where I stood staring creepily at a house that wasn't mine. He rested a hand on my shoulder, like he was trying to comfort me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't _sound _fine," he noted, the rise in his eyebrow heard in his voice.

I looked over my shoulder to give Jay a look that told him he was being unnecessarily worried. It wasn't as if Chris had meant the world to me. He had just been someone that didn't care about who others saw me as. The blue-eyed Plus had been very _real _with me.

"Do you miss him?" Jay asked, blinking down at me with his dark violet eyes.

If I missed him, did that mean he had meant something to me? Did it mean that he had impacted me in a way that caused weakness?

Giving the house that Chris cherished so much one last glance, I pivoted away from it, letting my back face its front doors. I closed my eyes, almost picturing him standing there staring at the structure with dull eyes, yet smiling when he saw us. Opening my mouth, I answered, "No."

I had lied.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

And that's the seventh chapter of FEATHERS! I hope that you guys liked it! There was a lot more Toushirou in it, although I'm not quite sure how well I captured his character.

I think that even though Toushirou was in this quite a bit, the chapter revealed a lot more about Yuzuru than anything else. xD

I can't tell if Toushirou is just a hard character to capture properly if it's how he interacts with Yuzuru that's hard to write. LOL. Or Rangiku. I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE. It's just a mash of "ASDFGJKL?!" when I write this story. LOL. Not in a BAD way exactly, but more like in a "-SOBS- AM I EVEN WRITING SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE?" kind of way.

While I was writing this chapter, I had no idea what I was thinking. Because when I was editing, I found a million mistakes. Trust me. Every paragraph had, like, a sentence that made absolutely no sense. I was confused about what I was writing about or trying to convey. I was missing words or I had been inserting words that didn't fit into sentences. At all.

So... I apologize for any grammatical errors ( likely ), spelling mistakes ( oh dear lord ), and OOCness ( -DIES- ) that may ( probably ) occurred within the chapter!

ENDLESS LOVE AND THANKS TO;

**Fallaby Z, StarTrail, Devicorn, girlofeverycolor, Tokine8696, NightDreamer567, xXMizukiXx, BlackMoonWhiteSky, Guest, Guest, Scar. Of. Sun, Mai, Ficchii, samanthatm, Vakarianx3, ya'aburnee, AkainoHotaru, xOxO Lost Angel OxOx, and XxSaphirezxX**

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR LOVELY WORDS! You have absolutely no idea how much I appreciate it!

Also, thank you to everyone who alerted and favourited! (x

RESPONSES?

To **girlofeverycolor**;

Aww, well thank you! I'm glad that you like my writing style enough to continue on. I try not to pace things too slowly or too quickly. (x  
>I hope that the relationship between you and your friend has gotten past that rocky point and that you guys are starting fresh again! I honestly hope that it worked out for you guys. I can't believe something that I wrote in my fanfic had reminded you of something like that, or seemed to express what you were going through. ;O<br>Ohmy. LOL. To be honest, I hadn't even realize that. It just totally slipped my mind. Thanks for pointing that out, though. (;  
>ASDFGHJL. LOL. Those stories exist out there? I don't really read fanfiction, which is pretty horrible since I write on this site, but I don't even... Honestly, does that happen in some fanfics? -is stunned-<br>I hate information dumps! To be honest though, I think that I do it rather often. Maybe it's just me. LOL. I try hard not to, though. I'm very glad to know that you don't think I do it. (x  
>I'm sorry that I keep distracting you from homework. LOL. I know that, personally, I hate it when it happens because then I gotta work my ass off to finish everything on time. YOU SHOULD WORK ON YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE READING. -DIES-<br>I think it's least popular because Bleach is such a wide fandom and there are ToushirouxOC fanfics EVERYWHEREEEE. LOL. Or maybe my writing just isn't that appealing to others and whatnot, but yeah.  
>I'M SORRY. I ended up making you wait even longer than December... -sheepish laugh- I hope that can forgive me!<br>There are so many questions left unanswered, right? The feather. Oh dear lord. LOL. I hope you can still with me until the end to find out all the answers!  
>Thank you for your lovely support, and I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter! (x<p>

To **Tokine8696**;

-SOBS- Why are you so wonderful? ASDFGJKL.  
>Thank you so much for supporting me all the time! It makes me really happy and touched. (x<br>Trust meeeee. Toushirou kills me to keep in character. I'm not really sure what it is, though. I think it might because he's serious and he's reserved, but at the same time, I feel like he just word vomits everything and has attitude. I DON'T EVEN KNOW. LOL. I think it's even harder to keep him in character because Yuzuru has so much spunk to her that together, they're just... -DIES- But thank you! I'm so relieved to know that I haven't completely butchered Toushirou. LOL.  
>As always, thank you for your lovely encouragement! I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter of FEATHERS, Tokine8696! (:<p>

To **NightDreamer567**;

Abandoning a story I started to post online is unforgivable! HAHA. So no worries, my updates might take absolutely forever, but I'm not going to leave this unfinished! I hope that you can stick with me until the end. xP  
>NOSNBOSENPBRB. You bombed three tests?! D; Aww, are you okay? I'm happy my chapter made your day, though! I hope that you're feeling better. Work hard, I know you can do it! Ganbatte! (: Good luck with your future studies! I know that school is also kicking me in the ass, but we can work harder together. (x<br>I finally updated, I hope that you liked this chapter! Thank you so much for telling me your thoughts and dropping me a review! ;D

To **Ficchii**;

LOL. Well, WELCOME! (x And do we? To be honest, I'm not sure if Toushirou's my favourite character. I mean, I honestly adore him, and he USED to be my absolute favourite, but I've been wavering a lot. I have a list of characters I love, and I think I just wanted to write one about Toushirou because... I don't even know. But ASDFGHJKL.  
>Why thank you! And LOL, fair enough. I feel like not a lot of people read that manga, but eeeeeeh! (x<br>I try hard not to make anyone OOC! And trust me, I die doing it. LOL.  
>Thank you so much for your awesomesauce support all the time, Ficchii! I hope that you enjoyed the latest chapter! (:<p>

To **Vakarianx3**;

HI!  
>;OOO! I didn't know that you read all my other stuff, too! HAHA. Well, I'm happy to know that you're on boaaaaaard! I'm sorry that FEATHERS doesn't have as many chapters as my other stories despite having been started around the same time! I grinned like an idiot when you said I write awesome stuff. HAHA.<br>YOUR FLATTERING ME TOO MUCH. If you keep complimenting me like that, my ego will swell until the point where I start hitting people in the face with it. -SHOT- But thank you! Your praises are very lovely. (x  
>I'm glad that you love Yuzuru so much! She's definitely an interesting character to write about! The romance between Toushirou and Yuzuru... might take a while. LOL. It's because in the romance section of their personality, they're both very similar. And that means... Well, it means slow romance. LOL. But I hope that you can stick with me through the process!<br>Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and sharing with me your thoughts! I hope that you liked the latest chapter! (x

To **ya'aburnee**;

MAFIAAAA. I always feel like mafia organizations in anime or manga are really cool even though they're probably nothing like that in real life. I don't know; it just makes everything seem more badass. HOHOHO. And I wanted Yuzuru to be badass. Please don't ask me if that's the only reason why she's a mafia boss' daughter. -SHOT-  
>I think that calling this fanfic the best you've ever read in the ToushirouxOC fandom is an enormous exaggeration, and it's a compliment that flatters me so much and boosts my ego like nothing else could, but THANK YOU! I'll take it. Sort of. LOL. Nonetheless, I'm very touched that you'd think that. Or say it. (x<br>I finally managed to update, so I hope that you liked the chapter! And thank you for sharing with me your delightful thoughts! (:

END OF RESPONSES.

Walls of texts. Ohmy. I apologize for making your eyes bleed. xD

I wanted to let you guys know that I'm **_so touched_ **by the amount of support I got for the last chapter! I honestly can't put my gratitude into words; I'm really, REALLY thankful to all of you! I love you guys a lot, and you guys are HONESTLY what keeps me going. I don't really know if I could ever write something with all I've got when nobody reads it. ;_;

But yeah. You guys are absolutely lovely. Thank you. (x

There's not that much more to say except that I'll try and update more frequently! And happy one-year anniversary, guys! (x

Please drop me a review sharing your thoughts with me!

I hope to see you guys sooooon.

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


	8. All That Is

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. All rights go solely to Kubo Tite.**

**A/N:**

Keeping it short and simple:

**I won't give up on this story. **

Regardless of how long it may take me to update, there's a reason why I wanted to write this. There's a reason why I wanted to share Yuzuru's story with those who are willing to read it.** And I know I've disappointed so many people **because I haven't updated in forever. It's hard to keep faith when you never get a sign from the author that anything is even continuing. Being a fan of anything requires time, love, and a _lot _of effort.

I know that.

And that's what I'm not going to put something up here and leave it unfinished. **It might take me another couple of months, maybe another handful of years, but I don't plan to abandon what I started. **

**I'm sorry.**

Thank you to everyone who kept the faith, because I wouldn't be here without you. Thank you to those who are willing to give this another chance.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p><span> FEATHERS<span>

**CHAPTER EIGHT;**

_"All That Is"_

* * *

><p>"Remind me again why you're actually taking part in school activities," John muttered, yawning loudly as he shifted his sunglasses out of his way to rub his eyes.<p>

"None of your business," I retorted, mainly because I was asking myself the same damn question. When I had volunteered to become the class representative, I had been dead-set on cornering Toushirou for answers. It had been the only goal I had in mind—trap him, interrogate him, and obtain the information I needed at all costs. I hadn't really thought about what would happen _after _I'd done all that. My responsibilities as a class representative didn't just fade away now that the pretense had lost its convenience to me, and I hated it.

I was _not _a morning person.

John snorted, as if already knowing the duty had become a drag for me. He folded his arms across his chest and asked, almost begrudgingly, "Is that white-haired kid going to be with you at least?"

"He has a _name_."

"Well, you never told me it, so how the hell am I supposed to know?"

"What, you didn't do a background check?" I raised my eyebrows at him, a mock challenge in my tone. Once, this simple sentence would've been a blow to both of us. Now, it was used as a part of a joke that, if I had to be honest, wasn't actually funny in the slightest.

The scowl and roll of his eyes could be heard in his voice. "Are you going to tell me it or am I forever going to refer to him as 'the white-haired kid'?"

A smirk almost made its way onto my face when I thought about how Toushirou would react upon hearing that title. It was amusing to see just how annoyed he got at the constant comments he received on his—as he never failed to mention—natural hair. "Maybe it's better that you keep calling him that."

"_What?_"

"Ask him yourself."

"_You _were the one who was almost spitting fire up my ass about how he has a name!"

I shrugged as the car rolled to a gentle stop in front of KHA's large iron gates. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I threw open the car door before Kanegai could, hopping out and grabbing my bag as I did so. When I looked over at the driver's side, the middle-aged man was staring at me with a slightly helpless expression on his face.

He rolled down the window. "Young Mistress, please allow me to do my job properly."

"It doesn't make sense why you need to open doors for me," I answered simply. I closed my door and, pivoting on my heels, said, "Thanks and take care when you head home. See you later!"

I waited until the sound of the car's soft purr disappeared before I felt myself relaxing. I hadn't expected John to let it slide that I hadn't answered his original question on whether or not Toushirou would be with me. It surprised me further that, even upon seeing that nobody was at the school gates waiting for me, he still allowed me to go without escorting me. Normally, John was such a stickler to the rules—in all the time that I'd known him, it was _incredibly _rare for him to let such instances slide.

That meant something was stressing him out so badly that he wasn't getting a sufficient amount of rest.

As I made the mental note to question him when I had the chance, I opened up the doors to the school and made my way down the familiar hallways leading towards the art room. The reason that I came early today wasn't because of some necessary meeting or duty that needed to be performed by the representatives, but because I had been careless yesterday night when I'd brought back the banner for our class. Alpha and Patch had made their way into my room before I could bring the poster down to my personal art space, and they had the time of their life clawing the shit out of that paper.

I could hardly believe my eyes when I came back up and saw it torn to shreds. Needless to say, those two hadn't slept with me in my room last night.

It was painful, really, to have gone back down to my art room and realize that I didn't have the right kind of paper or anything that was the right size. Out of _all _the supplies that I had bought and collected over the years, I was missing something as simple as the enormous rolls of paper that all schools possessed. It hurt my pride, just a little, to have rummaged through everything I had and come out with my hands empty.

So that was how I found myself at _school_, over an hour early, in the art room starting the banner all over again. I didn't bother turning on the lights, opting to throw open the curtains and use natural lighting instead. Working with dimmed lighting wasn't a problem for me.

The art room was an organized mess that I was familiar with. All the paints were kept in a particular cabinet, and all the pastels were separated in stacks according to colours and brands along one side of the counter. Brushes were kept by the large, tub-like sink at the back of the room, regardless of whether or not they were newly washed. Drying artwork in the walk-in office, any brand new canvases or sketch pads in the storage room. From the walls to the floor, years of dried paint told their own stories, and cabinets with spray-paint over them spoke of those who'd made their mark.

It was nearly impossible not to fall in love with rooms like this.

I allowed myself to admire it for just another handful of moments before I gathered all the supplies that I needed and set everything out in front of me. I remembered exactly how the previous one looked like before it had gotten ruined. I debated briefly whether or not I wanted to improve and change anything before deciding against it. Despite thoroughly enjoying art and all that encompassed it, I wasn't up for wringing the creative juices out of my brain this early in the morning.

I had been working in silence, quickly and precisely, for about half an hour when I heard the door to the art room open. Immediately, I paused what I was doing to glance over at the person at the door, my eyes narrowing the moment I saw him.

"_The _Tsubaki Yuzuru, here early to work on the school festival," Vale commented, the amusement clear in his voice and glinting in his chocolate eyes. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, arms folded loosely over his chest. "I never thought I would see this day."

"If you don't have anything important to say, _leave." _I turned back to what I was doing, finishing the stroke of blue with a quick flick. I had half an hour to finish this gigantic poster and if all he was going to do was be annoying, he needed to go.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" I shot back, shifting a bit so that I could reach one of the corners.

"That isn't what I meant." When I looked over at him, he had his head tilted contemplatively, wisps of his long blond hair framing his face. "I meant what are you doing, engaging with the school?"

Why was everyone so concerned with what I did and what I didn't do? It didn't affect half of them in any way, shape, or form, so their interest was unwarranted and unwanted. It didn't make sense why people were so concerned over other people's decisions and lives. Shouldn't one have enough to worry about themselves?

"It's none of your business," I answered flatly, grabbing one of the small sponges I'd placed off to the side. I wet it slightly, squeezing out enough water to keep it faintly damp, and then dipped it into grey paint. "Are you going to say something actually relevant or are you going to leave?"

A low whistle escaped his lips, and the entertainment was still woven into his voice as he asked, "Aren't you trying to be nicer or something?"

Aggravated, I let out a loud sigh. "What do you want?"

He threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Nothing."

"No," I denied blankly. "If you didn't want anything, then you wouldn't be here. You never arrive at school early, if you even choose to attend classes for the day. You choose to maintain an average of attendance at 51.04 percent, _just _enough that you don't flunk the grade. That means you willingly chose to be here early today, of all days. You want something from me."

For a moment, Vale didn't say anything. He simply stared at me, his eyes narrowed just slightly, nothing in his expression giving him away. It was a handful of heartbeats later, tension in every nook and cranny between us, that he broke the silence with an amused laugh. Lips pulled over his white teeth, his eyes gleaming, he inquired, "Don't you think you're being just the slightest bit conceited?"

"It isn't being conceited if it's the truth," I replied swiftly, not even sparing him another look. I focused most of my attention on the banner, because I had reached the portion I hadn't completed yet on the previous poster. That meant I had to be more careful about spacing and measurements.

"Mm," was the European man's noncommittal reply. I felt his eyes burning into me, assessing and calculating. I ignored him dutifully, getting grouchier with every passing second. Just this brief conversation with him was enough to give me a mild headache. All I wanted was for him to either state his intentions or leave. I had never been interested in Vogan Vale, despite all the talk that constantly surrounded him.

Something about him, in spite of all his charms and his amiable reputation, was unsettling.

"How fascinating," he murmured, almost inaudibly. It was more for himself than for me, but my ears had picked up on it in the silence of the room. Before I could throw back some snappy retort about how he wasn't interesting in the least, he had already turned swiftly and disappeared, his long blond hair just a trail flowing behind him.

I glared at the space he'd so abruptly left, trying to pinpoint what exactly about him was so unnerving. It was hard to put a finger on it, as it was a mixture of everything. It wasn't like there was something _specific _about him that bothered me, but it was almost as if his very _being _was one that caused unease.

In other words, I didn't want anything to do with him.

I just hoped that he didn't want anything to do with me, either. But seeing as how he'd shown up today, I knew that my hopes would be in vain.

Shaking my head, I let out another exasperated sigh and continued on with what I came here to do. I didn't have much time left to finish this poster; classes would be starting soon, and I didn't need my classmates giving me mouth for not completing it even though I said I would.

No matter how lazy, how apathetic, or how reluctant I was, I knew the value of sticking to your word once you had given it.

It was a value that I didn't think anyone else carried anymore.

The soft click of the window lock turning and the quiet whooshof the glass being slid open cut through my bitter thoughts. I caught a glimpse of shocking white from the corners of my eyes.

"Doors exist for a reason, Toushirou," was my less than enthusiastic greeting.

"It's 'Hitsugaya-san,'" he reprimanded, though it sounded just faintly absentminded. When I l turned to look at him properly, I noticed that his standard scowl had been replaced with a frown and lightly furrowed eyebrows. His large eyes were narrowed a fraction, sweeping over the room as if looking for something.

The tension that entered my body was immediate. "What?"

It took him a moment to respond, his eyes flickering over to the doorway for just a second, before they rested on me squarely. He shook his head, jumping smoothly into the room and landing with his hands in his pockets. "It's nothing."

"Don't give me that."

"Give you what?"

"That 'it's nothing' bullshit," I said, scowling at him. I watched him as he, upon remembering that he'd left the window opened, casually reached behind him to close it. "Clearly something in this room bothered you."

He regarded me carefully for a moment, as if hoping I would look away and let the subject drop. But I had learned over the years that many people took that gesture as one of weakness—looking away meant they had enough power over you to make you uncomfortable, and they wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of that. So it had been nailed into me to meet their gaze head-on, no matter how scared or intimidated I felt. At the very least, it gave the _illusion_ that I was more ballsy than I really was.

I doubted that the reason Toushirou relented was because he found me tough, but either way, it gave me the desired outcome of him spilling the beans.

"Someone had been in here with you." It was halfway between a statement and a question. When I stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate on what significance that had, he asked slowly, "Who was it?"

My eyes narrowed at him, something wrenching uncomfortably in my stomach. A million different thoughts and speculations ran through my mind, but I discarded them just as quickly as they came. There was no point in hypothesizing something if I could get a clear answer from the person in front of me. "Vogan. Vogan Vale."

Toushirou stiffened just slightly before forcing himself to relax. He masked his reaction perfectly, giving away nothing. He just nodded his head at me once, curtly.

Before he could change the subject like I knew he would, I asked flatly, "He's not normal, is he?"

He knew that there was no way out. "...No, he's not."

Well, _that _explained a lot.

Annoyed, I turned back to my banner. I picked up the brush I'd left in the water the moment I'd realized that the Captain was acting oddly, dabbing it dry and then dipping it into black paint once more. "Is he like you?"

It seemed to take him a moment to find the right answer. "_What _he is, yes."

"You didn't know he was here."

"If I did, Tsubaki, I wouldn't have asked."

I rolled my eyes at his sass. "But you know him. That means he's part of the Gotei 13 and is disobeying orders, he _had _some affiliation with your world, or he's another supernatural being with a reputation." I paused, frowning at the slightly elongated stroke I'd made. "Which one is it?"

He shook his head again. "It doesn't matter."

"If it didn't, you wouldn't have looked so troubled when you entered through the _window_."

"That was before I knew whom the reiatsu belonged to," he answered swiftly. Deciding it was time to switch the topic, his eyes raked over the nearly finished banner and he commented, "I thought you took that home."

"I did," I answered, shrugging nonchalantly. "Alpha and Patch shredded it."

A nod from him. He didn't ask me who I was referring to, and that—begrudgingly—earned him major brownie points with me. The two Siberian huskies were held incredibly close to my heart, and it was somewhat illogical, but I couldn't help but soften towards people that cared enough to remember them.

From my peripheral vision, I saw him moving off to the side of the room, where boxed materials were piled and stacked together. He took a seat on one of the higher stacks, propping his short legs up on a smaller heap. He rested his elbows on his knees, and simply sat there in silence, his eyes resting on me occasionally.

"Don't you have better things to do than sit here?" There was no real bite in my voice.

Toushirou let out a sigh. "This is my job, Tsubaki."

"I'm not sure if you're qualified to babysit."

The pause in conversation made me look over at him. His teal eyes, glowing in the naturally lighted room, were hard as they met mine. "What," he began slowly, "is _with_ you and your carelessness regarding the situation?"

Uninterested once more, I turned my attention back to my nearly completed project. Shrugging my shoulders, I answered quietly, "... Who knows?"

Because I knew that I didn't.

I wasn't sure what it was, but nothing particularly concerned me. It was probably an unnatural reaction, this feeling of normality despite all the changes that were taking place in my life. I didn't feel as if I was being shoved out of my comfort zone and into a completely new world—it didn't really feel like much had changed. Everything that was happening with the Hollows, in my mind, simply paralleled the underground mafia business that I had grown up with.

As a matter of fact, if I had to choose between which part of my life intrigued me more, it would be the Hollows. Hearing that they were after me specifically had, undoubtedly, crafted a new fear inside of me, but it wasn't a mind-boggling, out-of-the-world kind of fear. It was a fear that held hands with fascination.

Even upon hearing that something was off about Vale, I hadn't felt shaken. It wasn't that I was reassured by Toushirou's dismissal of him, and it wasn't because I disregarded Vale as an ant underneath my shoe, either. He'd unnerved me before I received the new information on him, but now that I _knew _what about him unsettled me so much, the blond-haired man wouldn't evoke the same uneasiness within me the next time I saw him.

It wasn't _knowing _things that scared me.

It was _not _knowing that did.

And it was this _lack _of petrifying fear for my life that was the most absolutely terrifying thing.

"What is up with that?" he muttered under his breath, his voice tinted with aggravation.

I ignored his utterance, which was meant for himself. "Out of everyone they could have sent, why were you chosen?"

"You're stuck with me whether you like it or not, Tsubaki," he told me coolly.

"Did I _complain?_" I demanded, glaring at the artwork I was putting the finishing touches on. "I was asking out of curiosity. Take that stick out of your ass."

His eyebrow twitched, and he closed his eyes, as if trying to control his own temper and reign in his composure. When he opened them again, he said stiffly, "I've had the most experience in the human world."

"Why?"

"Why is this information relevant to you?"

"It's not."

"Then you wouldn't be asking." He caught me there, and he knew it. My eyes darted over to meet his, onyx clashing against turquoise, and I almost glowered at that calm expression on his face. It was almost scary how he already knew me well enough to catch me red-handed like that. He wasn't the least bit hesitant when he had fired back his response, meaning he was _sure _of what he was saying.

In the short span of just a handful of days, this white-haired enigma had already begun to walk along the strings of my thoughts.

He would be in for a surprise when he found out that half the time, I didn't _know_ why things mattered to me. They just _did. _Sometimes, the things that intrigued me, the things that somehow held some noteworthy place in my thoughts, were not things that I consciously decided.

Like now.

I didn't know why I asked him why it was him that they sent. It wasn't because I wanted to start idle conversation with him; I wasn't an enormous fan of silences, but I wasn't an advocate against them, either. And yet I held an uncanny interest in why it was him. Something deep inside of me wanted to know, even if it didn't change anything. There was a curiosity inside of me that had a mind of its own.

Often, it was that bloody curiosity that led me to situations like _this. _

Silently, I broke our staring contest and went back to completing the poster. With just another two quick strokes and a swipe of my hand along the paint, I was done. It wasn't anything that I would hang on my wall proudly, but it wasn't the most hideous thing I had created in my life. It had the event name painted black in the center, with various silhouettes of differently dressed individuals in the background. Taking up the right side, a traditional fan with a mountain range hid over half a face, the only thing visible being the striking blue colour of a nearly-obscured eye. The left side had the stereotypical, media-portrayed features of a zombie, and specks of paint made the background less boring.

It was the best that I could do in an hour for something that I held no real interest in.

Wordlessly, I began cleaning everything up. I threw my brushes together into the tub of water I had, grabbing all the sponges I'd used and throwing them in there, too. I picked up the palettes in my other hand, making sure not to spill anything, and made my way over to the large sink at the back of the room. I turned on one of the numerous faucets, cleaning my hands well enough to pull up the sleeves of my uniform before rinsing out the supplies I'd used.

One of the best parts of cleaning up after using paints was seeing the way the colours all bled together, blending and swirling to create art in of itself. It always brought some kind of awe to me, some kind of great appreciation for the fact that such simple things, such _unintentional _things, could offer so much beauty.

I looked over my shoulder, confused, when I heard the rustling of fabric. I blinked as I watched Toushirou gathering the old cloths I'd set out on the ground around the poster to make sure I didn't dirty the floor. I hadn't actually made that big of a mess, but it was always better to be cautious. He folded them easily, one after the other, making sure to move the banner carefully out of the way.

Turning back to my own task, I muttered, "Thanks."

And his grunt as a reply was all that was needed for the tension to dissipate.

* * *

><p>"We're skipping the festival," Jay muttered to me as we began putting on our shoes. Students of all classes and years rushed by us, the air heavy with chatter and the excitement that came with the idea of leaving this hellhole.<p>

"You were so excited for it yesterday," I pointed out, waiting for him as he placed the white indoor pairs back into his locker.

"Yeah, well, that was before I was somehow coerced into becoming one of the models." He scowled.

I almost laughed. It was beyond entertaining how _both _Toushirou and Jay were roped into being the models—against their various protests—and how they were _still _sulking over it. Toushirou had been clearly less than amused throughout the rest of the day, and Jay had been pouting and sighing about it every ten minutes.

"Why are you so against it? You usually don't mind all that jazz."

He ran a hand through his hair, frowning a bit. "If I'm stuck there the entire day, who's going to keep you safe? It's not like _you're _staying in there longer than you need to."

"I'm the class representative. I _have _to be there later than everyone else, whether I want to or not."

"I meant within my eyesight, Princess."

"I'll stay in the classroom _just _to watch you suffer."

"How reassuring," he muttered wryly, rolling his eyes. "As if possibly having my picture taken while dressed as a sexualized cat isn't bad enough."

This time, I couldn't help but smirk. "You'll be beautiful."

"We're skipping the festival," he repeated darkly. "I'm sure that Rangiku and Toushirou are in."

"No way," came my refusal. "We're attending. Rangiku and I are going to enjoy every single moment of your glory."

Sighing loudly, he demanded, "Is this what years and years of friendship has led to?"

"I thought friends often relished in each other's unfortunate circumstances."

"What kind of twisted view of _friendship _do you have?" he complained, pouting even as we approached where John and Kanegai stood, side by side, next to the car.

John, upon catching the last part of Jay's words, raised his eyebrows. "Is he finally putting a foot down?"

"John," Kanegai scolded lightly. He smiled at me, grey eyes kind. "Good afternoon Young Mistress, Jay. I hope you two had a nice day at school."

"Oh, yeah, it was great," came my bright answer.

"It was great for _her _because she's taking enjoyment in my _misfortune._"

"I smell a story," John grinned, opening the door for me. I slid inside, Jay coming in right after me. It was only when everyone had settled in and the car began to move that my lifelong friend jumped into the story of his so-called misfortune.

In reality, I was _happy _that Jay became one of the main cosplayers of the event. Many people seemed to avoid Jay just because he affiliated himself with the Tsubaki family, and for that, I'd always felt so apologetic. He could get along _so _easily with people. It was an innate characteristic within him, this amiable persona. Yet simply due to being with me, he was ostracized and looked down upon. He suffered judgement that was unfitting of him, and he never even once complained.

It was completely, utterly unfair.

And with this, for once, he was being included in an event without deliberately forcing himself in there. _They _had chosen him, and they had done so _willingly. _It was the first time in years—ever since our peers understood what the mafia embodied—that people treated Jay like he was something less like a monster, and more like a human.

And hell would freeze over before I admitted it out loud, but I wanted that for him.

* * *

><p>I was halfway towards the school from the main gates when I heard soft thuds, followed by what sounded suspiciously like footsteps. Before I could turn around, I felt hands grabbing at me out of what seemed to be nowhere. In reality, they must've been hiding behind or in the trees—there was nowhere else for them to conceal themselves.<p>

A large wad of cloth was stuffed into my mouth before I could even gasp, and out of reflex, I choked a bit on it. I coughed, the sound almost silent. There was a rough tug on the cloth, jerking my head back, and I felt a tight knot being formed. Forceful hands shoved my wrists together, binding them with thick ropes, the same being done to my ankles. Men of all heights and hair colours surrounded me, though they all shared the same crisp charcoal suits and white-rimmed sunglasses. They carried guns with them, pointed not only at me, but at something behind me—pointed at where Kanegai and John were surely trapped within the family vehicle.

"You won't struggle?" asked the man that held one of my shoulders and my tied wrists.

This was the third damn time. I knew the routine by now.

Instead of giving them the satisfaction of seeing me break down into uncontrollable sobs—they all seemed to expect that—I simply shot a glower over my shoulder at him.

"Interesting," was all the black-haired man said. A snap of his fingers, and then another pair of hands grabbed me, throwing me over a broad shoulder caveman style. Something hot and angry spread through my body with every heartbeat, but I knew that raising a hand against them would result in someone I cared about dying.

That would never happen again.

Despite being raised in such a violent environment, I had never taken as much interest in the material arts as I probably should've. I wasn't utterly helpless in a fight—on the contrary, I was actually somewhat decent—but I wasn't stupid enough to think I could take on twelve well-trained, gun-carrying, battle-scarred men that were nearly three times my size.

They probably had knives hidden in the sleeves and pockets of their suits. It wouldn't be the first time.

I caught John's narrowed, angry eyes as the men carried me away, and firmly, I shook my head at him. He opened his mouth like he wanted to protest, but a gun being shoved more forcefully against his temple had him clenching his teeth together.

The last thing I saw before I was shoved into a typical black car was a bald man, dressed like all the others, leaning over to whisper something into John's ear. I could tell from the tight expression on his face and the downward twist of his mouth that all the twenty-four-year-old wanted to do was punch the guy straight in face.

I crashed into a hard body that sat at the other end of the car, and then someone else squeezed in after me. The opening and closing of various car doors were muffled from inside of the vehicle, but I saw a couple of cars in front of this one, and I'd glimpsed another couple behind this one, too. They hadn't travelled in an enormous group, choosing just a small entourage. It was definitely a better choice than the former; too many people found security in numbers.

A rough hand shoved my head forward, and then my sight disappeared as they quickly blindfolded me. _Twice. _It was only when they had ensured that I wouldn't be able to see through the material that the car began to move.

Regardless of whether or not I was able to see, I would be able to remember every single turn, every single stop they made.

They made the rookie mistake of keeping me conscious.

"I don't think I've ever captured a Young Mistress that was so calm before," the same man from earlier commented after a couple of moments. His voice was rough like gravel, grating against my eardrums. I didn't give a rat's ass about what he had to say, but the gag prevented me from voicing aloud my less than courteous thoughts.

The men beside me, surely feeling cramped inside this tiny car, remained silent and unmoving.

"Aren't you even the least bit afraid? Most people start at least hyperventilating by now."

I didn't bother gracing him with an answer. Instead, I flipped through my memories to see if I could place a family clan to this particular colour and attire. There weren't an overwhelming amount of prominent mafia organizations, but that didn't mean newer groups didn't suddenly emerge out of circumstance. I hadn't ever seen, nor had I ever heard, of this group—which meant that they weren't even a month old.

It was amusing, I couldn't help but darkly notice, that so many of these newer, smaller clans felt like they had an advantage over the older ones.

A hand shot out to grab the front of my shirt, pulling me forward and nearly out of my seat. The unexpected action had my heart hammering in my chest, and I felt the man lean in closer to me.

"I asked you a question," he breathed, voice void of any emotion besides malice. His very demeanour seemed to have done a complete one-eighty turn. "Just because we need you alive doesn't mean you need to be in perfect condition when they get you back, you punkass shit."

I remained motionless. Mostly because I couldn't really do anything else. For a brief moment, I entertained the idea of head-butting the man, but I knew that they all carried cell phones with them. I had no idea whether or not they released Kanegai and John yet—they could be held where they were until I was safely secured before being sent back to the house. One head-butt, one call, two words, and they could die.

There would be no mistakes this time.

"What the flying _fu—!" _A loud screeching noise cut the rest of the cuss off, and the car abruptly spun wildly to the left. The grip on my shirt loosened as we all crashed into each other or the car, and I felt the wind getting knocked out of me. I tried to gasp for breath, only to get another horrible mouthful of dry cloth. My heart was thrumming in my chest, adrenaline pumping through my system. I didn't know what happened—there was no way that anyone from my family could've already intervened with this situation—but it didn't matter to me.

Thirteen and two-thirds of a centimetre to the right, at a forty-two degree angle—those were the measurements that swam in my head as I recalled our positioning and analyzed it. In two seconds, my elbow had slammed mercilessly into the groin of the man that sat on my right, and as he let out a yell of surprise, I grabbed onto the lapels of his blazer with both hands and threw him over me to bang heads against the man on my left. The impact of their collision was so strong that they knocked themselves out, evident when I felt both bodies relaxing and slumping against me.

I was just about to shove the man off of me and move to choke the man in the passenger seat when there was an audible click, followed by a deadly, "This is point-blank at your head. If you make even the slightest move, you're a goner."

Adrenaline was still roaring through my blood, my body humming with an energy that I never had on a regular basis. The beating of my heart was frantic, frenzied, mirroring my thoughts and being the complete and utter opposite of what I portrayed.

Every instinct told me to fight.

Every rational thought told me to listen.

Was this what it was like for people caught in life or death situations? Did they feel like time slowed down for them as their mind and gut fought with each other?

I wasn't even given another second to contemplate my choices. There was a surprised gasp from the man, the sound of the gun clattering, and of fabric rustling. Two grunts, and then silence for a couple of seconds.

Each second felt too much like an eternity. In just those handful of seconds, my rapidly firing mind was able to conjure up fifty different ways I could either kill the person that would appear at one of the doors or flee. As I tried to loosen the restraints on my wrists, I came up with another eighteen ways of knocking the person out.

When the door to my left opened, my natural reaction had me preparing to throw my arms around the person's neck in hopes of choking them out. Before I could even move a muscle, a familiar voice had me freezing in my spot.

"It's me, Tsubaki." He let that sink in for just a couple of seconds, making sure that I wouldn't make any drastic moves against him, before I felt him hauling the two men out of the way. He tugged me to the edge of the car, where he turned me so that my legs hung out. In a matter of seconds, the bindings on both my ankles and my wrists disappeared. Softly, with a touch that was feather light, he reached up to undo my gag and blindfolds.

When I opened my eyes, the light seemed to blind me. I immediately flinched away from it, scrunching my face up in distaste. It was only when I finished allowing my eyes to adjust that I turned back to face the teal-eyed male that was crouching in front of me.

Too many emotions bombarded me, none of which that I wanted to feel. Refusing to allow any of those sentiments to sway me, I shook my hands out, frowning when I realized that the rough actions I'd done in the past two minutes had rubbed some of the skin raw. Deciding that it was irrelevant for now, I met Toushirou's eyes and said simply, "Thanks."

Apparently, it wasn't that simple for him. His eyes narrowed at me, flashing with something that I couldn't quite place. It almost seemed like incredulity. Despite the grave expression on his face, his deep voice was so soft as he asked, "Are you okay?"

I forced a shrug. "I'm a ball of sunshine." Glancing around, I noticed that all the vehicles that belonged to this unnamed clan had stopped. Some of them had men hanging out of the doors, unconscious, while others looked as if they'd just stopped in the middle of the street. It was probably stupid to feel impressed, considering the fact that he was a Shinigami and therefore trained in combat, but I couldn't help but be, well, impressed.

Not that I would ever tell him.

"_You _did this?" I raised my eyebrows at him, asking even though I already knew.

His eyes darted around my face. "Tsubaki."

"I wonder what they thought when they were getting their asses handed to them by a white-haired kid that's less than half their size." I ignored him, my eyes darting around to take in our surroundings. We weren't on a big, main highway, but one of the very small streets that led to larger ones.

"Tsubaki."

"When I felt the car swerving, I was wondering what the hell happened. How are you sure I wouldn't have gotten into a car crash and died _that _way?"

"Tsubaki."

"You didn't even really need to involve yourself in this, Toushirou. This mafia business isn't—"

"_Tsubaki."_

"_What_?!" I exploded, the word escaping me like a ball of fire. I spat it at him, all the pent-up emotions I'd been trying so hard to suppress rushing forward into that one word. My eyes fell to meet his, and I nearly forgot how to breathe.

His eyes searched mine for a moment, calm, steady, reassuring. He must've found something that consoled him faintly, because I saw a bit of tension leave his shoulders, and he let out a soft, nearly inaudible, sigh. His gaze fell from mine for a moment to stare at my hands, giving me a full view of his long lashes, before they fluttered and he met my eyes again.

Quietly, in a way that was placating and so unexpected but at the same time so _not_, he murmured, "... You're shaking."

I clenched my hands into fists in a futile attempt to make the traitorous tremors stop. "Better now?" I snapped, gritting my teeth together.

Toushirou didn't say anything. Instead, he shifted his attention to finding the appropriate materials in the first-aid kit that was opened up beside him. Without looking, he reached for one of my hands, but I didn't budge. Frowning, he turned towards me, his mouth already halfway open like he wanted to give me a piece of his mind. But whatever he wanted to say was thrown out of his head, his words disappearing before they could escape him, and he let out another soft sigh instead.

His bright eyes, usually so guarded and carefully composed, seemed gentler somehow. Maybe that was just a figment of my imagination, with the way lines and edges were blurring together. Anything that he was hoping to convey with his expression was lost in my washed-out vision, and when I felt him touch the back of my hand with the lightest of touches, I couldn't help it.

I choked on a sob, and I shook my head, almost disgusted with myself. My hands clenched together even more tightly. My exhale shook just like my voice did. "...Toushirou."

"Yeah." He hesitated for just a moment, the slightest shift in the air signalling a retreat, before he ploughed forward. His spare hand found its way to the top of my head, where he let it rest awkwardly for a heartbeat or two before ruffling my hair gently. His voice held the same kindness. "Everything's alright now, Tsubaki."

This time, when he slowly reached for my hand to take a closer look at my wrists, I let him.

* * *

><p><span>MANY THANKS TO, AND ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF;<span>

**Ficchii, StarTrail, Whimsical Omelettes, tanithhh, Tokine8696, BerserkMoon, Rockzzz, Guest, Trance20666, Pandalatte16, 123anime, rachel101448, Inkwriter, Eventria, dear-halcyon-days, Mai, and This Will Be The Day**

Thank you, as well, to those who have favourited and alerted despite the disheartening dates and those who have PMed me.

**There will be no responses to reviews from the previous chapter, but I want you to know that I read every single one of them multiple times and have, more than you would know, gained so much strength from them. Thank you for all your kind words.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **

It's been over two years since I last updated, so I just wanted to take this moment to say that I'm so happy I managed to find the time, and the motivation, to write this eighth chapter. It isn't the most amazing, blow-your-mind kind of chapter, but I don't think there was a way for it to be. was published so long ago, but in all honesty, the story of Yuzuru and her story with Toushirou have just started.

I want to say **thank you to all those that have offered me support. **I don't think I can ever express enough that when people review or PM me and they ask me about my work, it really _does _make a difference. It reminds me, I guess you could say, that there are people waiting for closure.

And as a girl who needs her closure, trust me. I FEEL YOU.

In all seriousness, **I always try my best to finish what I've started. If you can't stand waiting so long, if you don't believe me, if you don't want to follow me down that agonizing path of waiting and sporatic updates, I'm sorry. ****I'm sorry that you invested time into reading something that you don't know if you can stick with, but thank you so much for even giving it a try in the first place. **Whenever I hear of people who tell me they were looking for something and they weren't really sure what it was, but they gave what I wrote a go and they loved it and it was what they wanted, it's such a great feeling.

**It's unfair of me to ask such amazing people to wait for me. **

**So don't.** If you can't, don't feel like you have to. I understand completely that sometimes, you just can't invest that much of your time and life and effort and whatnot into someone or something that may not do the same for you.

But thank you for trying. **From the depths of my heart, I appreciate you. **

I'm trying to find the time to write more, and to fall back in love with something that I've started so many years ago. I'm trying to remember what it was that I wanted, what it was that Yuzuru wanted, and what we wanted to show you guys. I'm trying hard to find the fire that I felt that made me want to write Yuzuru so much that I couldn't help but post her story up here. Like with the majority of my other stories, I wasn't smart enough to write down a lot of my ideas. Completely my fault, and there are no excuses.

But I'm trying to be better.

**One day, whether it's months or years from now, this story will reach completion. I haven't given up on it yet.**

**I'm sorry. Thank you. **

XOXO,  
>-EverlastingxSong-<p> 


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